


Lion Whisperer

by SharkGirl



Series: Voltron Zoo AU [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Zoo, Bilingual Lance (Voltron), Cute, Flirting, Fluff, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunay (side pairing), Kissing, Light/Minor Angst with a Happy Ending, Lions, M/M, Minor Character Death (off-page), Multi, Near-Kisses, Pining, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-03-13 22:11:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 66,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13579992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkGirl/pseuds/SharkGirl
Summary: It’s been Lance’s dream ever since he was six years old to one day participate in the applied animal behaviorist internship at the Garrison Zoo. And now, during his final summer of college, he’s going to get his chance.Or, at least, that’s what he thought.Unfortunately for him, the spots are extremely limited and his gets taken by some transfer from another zoo’s program. And because he hadn’t selected a back-up, Lance is assigned to work in food service with his best friend Hunk and some new kid named Pidge.Of course, not all is lost, and Lance ends up meeting his hero, the top animal behaviorist in the country, Takashi Shirogane, along with the entire Holt family, and a very pregnant and moody lioness named Nyekundu.And between his not-so-secret crush on his hero and the surprising feelings he starts to develop for the delinquent spot-stealer, this may turn out to be the best summer of his life.





	1. The Best Summer Ever

**Author's Note:**

> Let me just start out by saying that I'm so happy and relieved to finally be able to post this fic!!  
> I started this back in September of last year and I completed it during NaNoWriMo. But, of course, it needed some serious editing (it's quite long and they don't call me the Typo Queen for nothing, you know)
> 
> I'd like to send out a very special thank you to my beta. He not only stuck with me the whole time I was writing this, but he also helped me decide on this idea (I had about fourteen or so going back then) Without Alex, I don't think this fic would have gotten past a little one-shot idea. So, thank you!! ♥
> 
> This is complete and I plan on updating regularly. But that doesn't mean I don't still appreciate little comments letting me know what you think! (This fic is my baby, so...please feel free to scream all about it at me!)
> 
> All right. Without any further ado...here's the first chapter~

“This is going to be the best summer ever!” Lance whispered excitedly, practically vibrating in his folding chair. He and Hunk were seated in the front row, the latter to appease his overly eager best friend. “I hope we’re roommates,” he added without looking up from his orientation handbook, his eyes scanning over the text, not wanting to miss a thing.

“Lance,” Hunk replied with a slight shake of his head, “We already are roommates.”

“That’s back at our apartment.” Lance finally glanced up at him. “This is a dorm for the summer! It’s totally different,” he paused, grinning wide. “Like summer camp!”

At that, Hunk pulled a face. “I just hope this won’t involve mosquito bites, poison ivy, and me waking up on an inflatable mattress in the middle of the lake.” Hunk shot a glare in Lance’s direction when he snorted.

Lance waved his hand in dismissal. “That was one time.”

“Three,” Hunk corrected. “Seventh, eighth, _and_ ninth grade.”

“Good times…” Lance sighed and then clapped Hunk on the shoulder. “But, not to worry, we’re adults now, one summer away from our senior year of college.” He bobbed his head. “I just can’t believe we finally got accepted for this internship.” He beamed.

As a rule, only college students currently enrolled could participate. Post-graduates were only allowed to attend if they planned on continuing their education or were majoring in the field. Otherwise, acceptance was limited.

“Thanks again for signing up with me,” Lance added with a shy little smile. Hunk was going for engineering and probably wanted to go to space camp or some sort of robot-building summer program – okay, Lance didn’t know anything about engineering, sue him – so it was great that Hunk had decided to accompany him. “It means a lot.”

“Hey, I get to see my best friend live out his dream of becoming junior zookeeper-”

“It’s an Applied Animal Behaviorist Internship, Hunk.” Lance pouted at him.

“Right. My bad.” Hunk hid a smile. “Anyway, I’m glad to help out. It was either this or Space Camp-” Lance knew it! “-and, frankly, I tend to get a little motion sick, so…”

“Attention, interns!” a loud, booming voice came from the front of the room, interrupting their conversation. Behind a podium stood a tall man, militant-looking with a meticulously trimmed beard. “First off all,” he began and then looked down at his note cards, “We’d like to thank you for volunteering to spend your summer with us,” he read robotically and then sighed, looking back up. “Thank you.”

A few people clapped and someone in the back coughed.

“Anyway…” He rolled his eyes. “The Garrison Zoo welcomes you.” He cleared throat. “Now, the heads of the fellowships will introduce themselves and then we’ll announce your assignments.” He paused, gesturing to the side. “You’re up, Holt.”

An older man with a kind face and rectangular glasses strode up, smiling at the crowd. “Thank you, Mr. Iverson.” He nodded toward the taller man and then faced his audience. “And welcome, interns. My name is Dr. Samuel Holt and I am in charge of all those participating in the Applied Animal Behaviorist Internship.”

Lance’s heart was hammering in his chest. He’d been waiting so long to do this. Ever since he was a kid and his parents had first taken him to the zoo. He would have applied sooner, but each summer there’d been distractions. Family reunions, the accidental car crash and the subsequent summer job to pay for the increase in insurance payments, etc.

But it was finally his time!

After Dr. Holt, a few others introduced themselves, but Lance’s attention was on his future supervisor. Then they began calling the interns up by department.

The first were the tour guides, a perky bunch with bright smiles and a bounce in their steps. Lance thought that’d be a cool position, but he had his heart set on working with the animals directly. Next were those working in the gift shop.

“Guess I didn’t get my first choice,” Hunk sighed from beside him, when his name wasn’t called.

After that, they called a few other positions:  maintenance, custodial, veterinary, and so on. Then, finally, Dr. Holt stood back up at the podium, joined by a younger man, tall and fit, with a scar across the bridge of his nose. And Lance nearly screamed.

“Holy crow, it’s Shiro!” he hissed to Hunk.

“Who?” He turned toward him, blinking in confusion.

“Only the coolest behaviorist out there,” Lance explained, sighing dreamily. “That guy’s my hero! Did you know that he-” but he stopped when someone hushed him, his cheeks burning in embarrassment.

“As you know,” Dr. Holt began, “this internship fills up faster and faster, every year. Isn’t that right, Takashi?” he asked Shiro, who nodded curtly, his arms behind his back as he stood at parade rest. “I’m happy to say that, once again, we have received an overabundance of applications. We really appreciate your interest.”

Lance was bouncing his knee, waiting on bated breath for him to call his name.

“This year, we’ve filled all three positions,” he said and Lance would have leapt from his seat if not for Hunk’s reassuring hand on his shoulder. “The first is…”

He waited. The first two were not him. That was okay. He could be the third. That was fine. They were obviously saving the best for last.

“And…” Dr. Holt adjusted his glasses as he read the last name. “Keith Kogane.”

Lance’s heart plummeted into his stomach.

“Thank you once again to all the applicants.” He walked off of the stage, Shiro following behind and leading the lucky three.

How? How was that even possible? Lance was going into his final year. This was his last chance to be a part of this program. He should have had seniority. Never mind that he’d all but been assured of his position when he signed up. More or less.

“Lance…” Hunk rubbed his back. “Maybe you’ll get your second choice-”

“I didn’t put a second choice!” Lance snapped and then lowered his voice when Hunk flinched. “I…this was the only thing I wanted to do…”

“All right, listen up!” a gruff voice called, catching their attention. “The rest of you are with me in food service,” he said, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “You can call me Sal.”

 

As it turned out, Lance and Hunk _were_ assigned to be roommates. But Lance was too upset to be excited. He fell onto his bed face first and groaned, long and low.

“Hey, at least we’re in food service together,” Hunk offered, eliciting another pitiful moan. “C’mon.” The mattress squeaked and dipped as Hunk sat down beside him. “I know it stinks that neither of us got our first choice, but-”

“It doesn’t just stink.” Lance pulled back, turning his head with a sniffle. “I really thought I was finally-” He sighed, closing his eyes. “And I got so stupidly excited, thinking I was actually going to meet Shiro…”

“It could still happen.” Hunk pat his head. “The guy’s gotta eat, right?”

Lance perked up at that. Hunk wasn’t wrong. He hadn’t paid much attention when Sal explained the different positions, but he was pretty sure there was only one main dining area for hot food.

“Speaking of which-” Hunk’s stomach gurgled loudly and Lance bit back a snicker. “I think they’re serving lunch before we all break off into groups.”

“Yeah. We should probably go.” Lance sat up and gently bumped their shoulders. “Thanks, man.”

He may not have gotten the internship he’d dreamt of, but he was still working at the zoo and that was pretty darn cool. He just had to continue looking at the bright side.

This still had the potential to be the best summer ever.

 

“This is going to be the worst summer ever…” Lance lamented the following morning.

Despite the fact that the zoo didn’t open until nine, they had to be up at six in the morning, so they could begin setting up breakfast for the other interns.

“It’s not that bad,” Hunk said, stifling a yawn. “I mean, at least we’re the first ones to eat.”

After breakfast, they started preparing for lunch. The restaurant opened at eleven and they were instructed to have plenty of food fried and ready in the window for the hungry zoo patrons.

There was a rotation, Sal had told them. And Lance had the displeasure of being stuck on the fryer his entire first day. Hunk, who was their resident chef at home, was assigned to washing dishes. It honestly wasn’t fair.

They took their breaks later, after the lunch rush. Lance, who was nursing easily a thousand micro-burns from splatter on his arms, slumped over his burger and fries, nearly knocking his soda over. “This…sucks…”

“Hey, at least you’re working with the food,” Hunk reasoned, picking up a fry and frowning as it sagged soggily and broke in half. “If you’d call it that.”

“It’s edible, anyway,” came another voice, one Lance didn’t recognize. He glanced up and saw that a third person had joined them at their table. “Pidge Gunderson,” they introduced themselves and then adjusted their glasses.

Lance quirked a brow. He hadn’t remembered seeing them that morning.

“I just transferred from custodial,” they explained before he could ask. “Apparently, my skills are better suited away from hazardous chemicals.”

“Right.” Lance blinked. “Welcome to the team, I guess.”

 

A few days in and Lance had really gotten the hang of it. They put him as a cashier and he shined. In fact, Sal liked him up there so much, he took him out of the rotation. Of course, that probably had nothing to do with the unbelievably burnt hotdogs, the flood in the dish room, or what would go down in zoo history as The Mop Incident.

Hunk, too, was taken out of rotation, once Sal saw the magic he worked on the grill. He was the only one in their group to properly cook everything to temp on the first try. And the way he seasoned was a blessing, turning the bland, boring cardboard they served into something almost enjoyable.

Pidge floated around, but usually ended up beside Lance for the rushes, expediting for him and basically being wherever anyone needed them.

So, it was no wonder that the three of them became fast friends.

“You’re doing it again,” Pidge said, causing Lance to flush. He was caught.

Every day, around two thirty, Shiro would come to their dining room to eat his packed lunch, accompanied by one of the interns – Keith, Lance remembered. The two chatted, the elder frowning at whatever meal bar or lack of lunch Keith had brought, and sharing half his own.

It made Lance sick.

“Look at him,” Lance frowned when Hunk joined them at the counter.

“I think you’re doing that enough for the three of us,” Pidge quipped, but he ignored them.

“Sitting there, across from _the_ best animal behaviorist in the world, sharing his lunch…” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Does he even realize how lucky he is?”

“I don’t think luck had anything to do with it,” Pidge said. “I mean, Keith got into the program here because he transferred from another zoo.”

Well, that was news to Lance.

“Apparently, he was their best intern, but he was dismissed for some disciplinary issue-”

“Seriously?!” Lance shrieked and then covered his mouth, lowering his voice to a whisper. “So, he messes up at some other zoo and then takes my place here?”

“You don’t know that, Lance,” Hunk argued. “You might not have been the third-”

“You heard the rep when we signed up, Hunk,” Lance said and then glowered in Keith’s direction. “Take my spot, will he?”

“What’s this?” All three jumped when they heard Sal’s gruff voice. “If you’ve got time to lean, you’ve got time to clean.” He held up a red sanitizer bucket and rags. “You two.” He pointed at Lance and Pidge. “Wipe down the tables outside.”

They were just about to walk out of the door, when Sal called out to them. “And take the squeegee,” he added. “For the bird poop.”

 

Lance didn’t hate his assignment. Sure, there were down sides. A lot of them. But he enjoyed working with Hunk and Pidge. And he really liked interacting with the guests. Plus, he got to see his hero every day. Okay, so maybe he didn’t get to talk to him and maybe Shiro didn’t know he was alive, but still.

However, it seemed like every time he got used to things, Sal was there, happy to add something to their list of duties or announce a change in operations.

Today was no different.

“Listen up!” Sal cleared his throat and stood in the middle of the dining room. They still had about twenty minutes before they had to open the doors. “Apparently, we haven’t been getting the best reviews. And sales are down, so…” He gestured toward a cart piled high with khaki-colored shirts. “We’ve got new uniforms.”

They weren’t new, so much as they were new to them. They were hand-me-downs from the gift shop. Lance remembered seeing them wearing the khaki button-ups as a kid. They were horribly unflattering and, paired with their matching pants, they gave off the look of someone on safari…in a cartoon.

But they were better than the bright orange polos they were currently forced to wear – though, Lance stood by his claim that he could make even that uniform look good.

“We’ll start wearing them for this shift,” Sal continued. “So, take turns changing in the bathroom.”

However, before anyone could head toward the cart, Hunk’s hand shot up. Sal raised his brows, but acknowledged him.

“Sir, with all due respect,” Hunk began. “Instead of changing uniforms, if the guests are unhappy…maybe we should change the food?”

Everyone froze. It was an unwritten rule that, no matter how bad the food, no one spoke ill of it, as every recipe on the menu was Sal’s own. Slowly, each member of the staff turned toward their supervisor, waiting for him to explode at Hunk – the way he did when that one kid said the chicken was too chewy… Sal had made him cry.

“All right,” Sal replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “The rest of you get changed.” Then he walked over to Hunk. “Let’s you and me talk in the back, shall we?”

Lance could only watch as Hunk was marched to what would surely be his untimely death. Rest in peace, big guy. You were too good for this world. And then he and Pidge got to work.

Surprisingly, Hunk did not end up in an early grave. In fact, Sal had taken his suggestions seriously and, by the following day, they had an entire new menu.

“Hunk, this is amazing!” Lance praised him during their break. He took another bite of his sandwich and gleefully moaned. “How did you do it?”

“Well, it all starts with the ingredients and the proper seasoning, as you know,” Hunk began. “Then, you have to take food cost into account and, honestly, the frozen prepared stuff we were getting before was much more expensive.” He gave a shrug. “So, obviously, fresh produce and meat was the way to go.”

Lance nodded, too distracted to catch Pidge before they stole one of his fries. “Hey, get your own!” he snapped, but they’d already popped it into their mouth.

“Seriously, Hunk, this is so much better than that garbage we used to serve,” they agreed.

“Well, I’d love to sit here and bask in your compliments for the rest of the afternoon, but I promised Sal that I’d meet with him to discuss a few new sandwiches I dreamt up last night.” Hunk stood up and took his tray over to the trashcan. Then, with a quick wave, he disappeared into the back.

“I wonder if it’s too late for him to change his major,” Lance mused, but was interrupted when his alarm went off. “Ugh, break’s over.” He sighed and slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Time to feed the masses.”

“At least the dinner rush is significantly calmer,” Pidge offered as they made their way back toward the time clock.

“Ah, not back in the day,” Lance recounted. “You should have seen the dump from the last dolphin show.” He chuckled. “We used to get caught up in it while we were trying to leave. I felt like a salmon swimming upstream.”

“You used to come here a lot, huh?” Pidge asked and Lance nodded.

“My parents took me here all the time,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to work here.” He paused, looking down at his uniform. “Just…not like this.” He shook his head. “How about you? Did you come to the zoo a lot as a kid?”

Pidge looked away. “Uh…yeah.”

“Did you have an annual pass, too?” he questioned. “I got one for my eighth birthday and then another for every year after that until I graduated. How about you?”

“Something like that…” Pidge answered and then changed the subject. “So, you really wanted to get a spot as a behaviorist, huh?”

“Yeah.” Lance sighed. “But, what can you do, right?” He shrugged and they both made their way back up to the front.

 

The dinner rush was, as expected, pretty slow. Most of the patrons left in the late afternoon, since the zoo closed at dusk. And many of the other employees had been sent back to the dorms, save for Pidge, Lance, and Hunk – though he was still in the back. As a reward, the three of them would get to sleep in the following day, which was something Lance was very much looking forward to enjoying.

It was just after closing time and Sal had just stepped into the back to get a mop bucket – Lance and Pidge weren’t allowed to handle them by themselves after The Incident – when someone opened the door.

Lance sighed. Sal must have forgotten to lock it. He stopped wiping the counter and glanced up, ready to inform the guest that their location was closed, but his words got caught in his throat. It was Shiro. The older man looked around for a moment before his gaze fell on Lance. He smiled and Lance knew right then and there that everything his mother and grandmother had fed him about heaven and angels was absolutely true.

“Hey,” Shiro greeted with a quick wave.

Lance swallowed and raised his hand, mimicking the move.

“I know it’s past closing time, but I was wondering if you had any coffee left?”

Okay, Lancey Lance. Here’s your chance. Your hero is standing right in front of you with no be-mulleted, spot-stealing intern at his side. Strike up a conversation. Tell him about your dream. Say _something_. He’s waiting. Standing there with a warm smile on his face. Oh, his smile was absolutely gorgeous.

“Is now not a good time?” Shiro asked and then Lance snapped out of it.

“Oh, sorry. Yeah, we might have some.” He quickly turned around, his cheeks and ears burning. He’d just made a fool of himself in front of _the_ Takashi Shirogane. He finally got to meet him in person and he stared at him like an idiot.

As it turned out, Pidge hadn’t emptied out the last of the coffee in the pot – Hunk was desperately trying to convince Sal to invest in an espresso machine or a pod brewer or something – and there seemed to be enough left for two cups.

“You’re in luck,” Lance said, without turning around. It was much easier to talk to Shiro when he wasn’t distracted by his handsome face. “I can get a couple of cups out of this, I think.”

“Oh, great,” Shiro replied, sounding relieved.

Feeling a bit bolder, Lance went on. “Burning the midnight oil, huh?”

“Yes,” Shiro said. “One of our lions is expecting her first litter of cubs-”

But Lance had already spun around, two foam cups in hand and his eyes wide with excitement. “Really?!” he gasped. “Is it Nyekundu or Buluu?” He asked, setting the cups down. There were only a few lionesses that were of mating age and those two seemed the most likely. He couldn’t believe he didn’t know. Then again, the zoo probably hadn’t announced it to the public yet. And, with it being a smaller zoo, it wasn’t like they had a live cam on her or anything.

Shiro’s raised his brows in surprise, but his smile widened. “Nyekundu,” he answered. “You’re quite familiar with our lions.”

“Well, I’ve only been coming to the zoo every weekend for the past decade,” Lance said, not the least bit ashamed. “But, wow, I can’t believe she’s going to have cubs.” He smiled. Of the two, she was the feistier, usually spurning the male and going off to sun bathe on a high rock. “Do you know how many she’s going to have?”

“Well, the ultrasound says three, but one’s a bit smaller than the others, so we’ll see how she fares,” Shiro said and then glanced down at the cups. “I’m on duty tonight, so-”

“Oh, right, your coffee!” Lance reached down to grab the cups, almost knocking them over in the process. “Sorry for keeping you, Mr. Shirogane.”

“It’s not a problem,” he said, taking the offered cups. “And, just Shiro is fine.” At that, Lance’s cheeks grew warm again, but he cleared his throat, willing them to cool.

“Sure thing…Shiro,” he managed, screaming internally.

“Thanks for the coffee.” Shiro smiled again. “Our machine is on the fritz and I don’t think I would have made it through the night without it, so you’re a real lifesaver.”

Lance practically preened.

“Well, I should get going.” Shiro gave a quick nod and lifted one of the cups. “Thanks again…um…?”

“Lance,” he replied.

“Thanks again, Lance.” Then Shiro made his way toward the door. But Lance realized he’d forgotten something. He hadn’t offered him cream or sugar! How inhospitable of him! Hunk would be ashamed.

Lance grabbed a few packets of sweetener and the powdered creamer – again, something on which Hunk was working with Sal – and practically jumped over the counter, hoping to catch Shiro before he left.

He called out to him, but all he managed to say was, “Hey, sugar!”

Shiro froze mid-step and then turned around, blinking owlishly before he quirked a brow.

Oh, great going Lance. End your conversation on a high note and then shout _that_ at him.

“I mean,” Lance amended, holding out the packets. “We have cream and sugar, if you like.”

“Oh.” Shiro chuckled. “Thanks anyway,” he lifted a cup. “I take mine black.”

And then he was gone, leaving Lance standing there, still holding the packets out like a moron.

“Hey, sugar?” Pidge repeated, appearing from the shadows with the mop bucket Sal had filled for them. “Did you seriously just?”

Lance turned toward them and narrowed his eyes. “Quiet, Pidge.”


	2. The Lion Whisperer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!! Time for an update~ It's _almost_ Sunday in my timezone, so I'm posting now, hehe.
> 
> I'd like to thank everyone for the positive feedback. I love this fic a lot and it really means so much when you guys leave a comment to let me know you like where it's going or the premise and such. And I would like to, once again, thank my beta, the illustrious Alex, for supporting me through this whole thing.
> 
> Now, let's get on with it!! A wild Keith appears and Lance goes on a date...sort of.

The next time Lance spoke to Shiro was two days later. The older man came in at two thirty, like always, but this time, he passed his table and went right up to the counter. Pidge was on the other register, but was nowhere to be seen, so Lance – after giving himself an internal pep talk and checking his reflection in the glass of the cooler – waved Shiro over.

“How may I help you?” he asked.

“Hello again,” Shiro began. “Lance, right?”

He remembered his name. He remembered his name. He remembered his name!

“You got it,” Lance replied with a wink. Okay. Too much. Reel it in. “You didn’t bring your lunch today?” Oh, real nice. Just admit that you’ve been watching him eat his packed lunch every day since the internship started, why don’t you?

“Well, I did, but,” Shiro said, not seeming to notice Lance’s accidental confession, “We lost power in our trailer and everything in the refrigerator went bad.” He sighed. “Matt tried to fix the coffee machine and blew a fuse, so there’s no A/C either.”

It was then that Lance noticed the other’s sweat-plastered bangs and the droplets showing through the fabric of his dark gray shirt. “Yeah…you’re hot,” Lance said and then quickly corrected himself. “I mean, you must be hot. Without the air and all.”

“Yeah, it’s like a sauna in there,” Shiro laughed and it sounded like a music. “So, I’ve been spending most of my time outside until maintenance gets it repaired.” He shook his head. “I do feel a bit bad for Matt, though. Since all of his paperwork is done behind a desk.”

It took Lance a moment, but he recognized the name. The Matt that Shiro was referring to was probably Dr. Holt’s son. He also worked for the zoo. Lance was pretty sure he’d seen his name on a plaque or two.

“Bummer,” Lance commiserated. “Well, we’ve got plenty of food, as you can see.” He gestured toward the newly updated menu. “What would you like?”

Shiro placed his order with Lance helping him along the way. They had a lot more healthy options these days and, for that, Shiro seemed immensely grateful. His packed lunches were always so well-balanced and healthy. Lance couldn’t really picture him digging into a fried chicken sandwich and fries.

“Will that be all?” Lance asked after Shiro had ordered enough for three.

“Almost.” He rubbed his chin, scanning the menu. “I just can’t figure out-”

And then, as if on cue, someone else walked through the doors, looking just as sweaty, but infinitely more grouchy.

“Oh, great, Keith. Perfect timing.” Shiro greeted him, and Lance did his best not to glare at the spot stealer. Call him salty, but he still wasn’t over it. “I was just about to order for you.”

“C’mon, Shiro. You know I’m not going to eat any of this garbage,” Keith replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

Oh, where was Pidge when Lance needed them. He would’ve loved nothing more than to have given the transaction over to them and run to the back and into the walk-in freezer to scream his lungs out. But, instead, he plastered on a fake smile.

“I beg your pardon, _Sir_ ,” Lance stressed, “but, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve completely redone our menu.”

“It’s true,” Shiro added. “Why don’t you give it a try?” he offered, though it sounded more like a command. And, judging by the way Keith seemed to bristle, Lance figured it was. Especially considering the fact that Shiro practically force-fed the intern every time Lance saw them together.

Ugh. He was so lucky!

Well, not for the force-feeding, but-

“Fine,” Keith growled and rolled his eyes, interrupting Lance’s inner monologue. “I’ll take a…” He glanced up at the menu. “Soft pretzel.”

“ _Keith_.” Shiro frowned at him.

“You told me to order something, so I did.” He drew his brows down. “Now, let’s hurry up and head back,” he threw out before stalking off toward the condiment station. Lance watched him go and, when he turned his attention back on Shiro, the older man looked apologetic.

“You’ll have to excuse him,” Shiro said and Lance understood.

“Can’t handle the heat?” he offered. But he was surprised when Shiro laughed.

“No, no. He’s just worried about the cubs.”

“Oh! Were they born?!” Lance asked excitedly, completely forgetting about his anger toward the other intern.

“Not yet,” Shiro sighed. “They seem to be every bit as stubborn as their mother.” He shook his head. “But Keith’s been watching over her all day. He probably only left to get me because Matt or Dr. Holt asked him to.”

They both turned to look over at Keith, who was fighting with the mustard dispenser. Lance raised his brows. This was the guy who took his place in the internship? This was the guy who supposedly watched over the pregnant lioness like a mother hen?

“He doesn’t exactly look like the ‘nurturing’ type,” Lance let slip out before he could stop himself.

“No, he doesn’t,” Shiro agreed with a snort. “But you’d be surprised.” And when Lance looked back at Shiro, the older man had a fond little smile on his lips, his gray eyes soft as he regarded Keith.

“Oh.” Lance stood there, feeling stupid. “I, uh…I’ll go get your order, then.” He quickly bagged everything up and handed it off, putting Shiro’s employee number into the register so it would be comped. “Good luck with Nyekundu,” he offered as Shiro started to leave.

“Thank you, Lance.” Shiro smiled again and Lance’s heart fluttered. Shiro turned to go, but stopped. “You know…” He faced Lance once more. “I’m on duty again tonight. If she doesn’t go into labor sometime today, that is.” He chuckled. “If you’d like, maybe after you get off work, you could come down and see her? I’d sure appreciate some more of that coffee.”

Lance couldn’t believe his ears. Shiro was inviting him to go see the lioness. Up close and personal. But, even more shocking than that, Shiro was inviting Lance out after work. To be with him. Alone. Just them and the lions.

It wasn’t a date. No. Lance wouldn’t call it that. Because brilliant animal behaviorists didn’t ask cashiers out on dates. So, it definitely was not a date. It was just two people, drinking coffee, and looking at a pregnant lioness.

Not a date. Nope.

“Unless you have plans-”

“I’d love to!” Lance blurted out. “I mean, if you’re sure.”

“Of course,” Shiro said. “We can meet by the enclosure or I can pick you up here after your shift, if you’d like.”

Not a date, Lance. Not a date.

“I’ll, uh, I’ll meet you there.” Lance swallowed.

“Sounds good.” Shiro nodded. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted.

“Shiro! Let’s go!” Keith shouted, poking his head back into the restaurant.

“Coming!” he called and then shot Lance another apologetic smile. “See you tonight.” He waved. “And don’t forget the coffee.”

Lance waved back, his gaze following Shiro’s retreating form until he disappeared from view. He lowered his hand, a goofy smile spreading on his face. He was going to get to see one of the lions. With Takashi Shirogane. He didn’t know which to be more excited over.

“So, got a date tonight, huh?” Pidge appeared, as they often did, as if from nowhere.

“It’s not a date,” he replied. “I’m just going to meet a lion with my hero.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Yeah. Okay. Sure.” Pidge snickered. “Is that why your face is all red?”

“It is not!” Lance pressed his palms against his warm cheeks and glowered at them. “And where were you, anyway? I had to handle that order all by myself.”

“You looked like you had it under control.” Pidge gave a little shrug. “Besides, it was easier to gossip with Hunk if I stayed back there.” They jerked a thumb over their shoulder toward the window.

Hunk was peeking through, a bright smile on his face as he raised his hand and gave Lance a thumbs up. “Good luck on your date, man!”

“Ugh. It’s not a date!”

 

That evening, after they’d finished cleaning up and the doors were locked, Lance practically sprinted back to the dorms. He was already showered and halfway changed before Hunk lumbered into the room, looking every bit as tired as Lance should have felt after a long shift, but, unsurprisingly, he did not. He was too excited for tonight.

“Now, should I escort you to the enclosure?” Hunk asked with a grin, then his face grew deadly serious. “You know, remind this Shiro guy who he’ll have to deal with if he hurts you?”

“Hunk.” Lance rolled his eyes. “It’s not a date. I don’t need you to go all protective on me.”

“Fine, fine.” Hunk held his hands up in defense. “But you know I’d kick his butt.”

Lance smiled then, giving a slow shake of his head. “I know you would, big guy.”

“All right, then.” Hunk flopped onto his bed and sighed. “Are you going to be back before lights out? Or will you be on lion watch until dawn?”

“I’m not sure.” Lance paused in the middle of tying his shoe. “But, if I’m late, Shiro will probably vouch for me.” He gave a shrug. “I mean, I’ll be with one of the other leaders. It’s not like I’m out sneaking around.”

Hunk nodded and then rubbed a hand over his face, stifling a yawn. “Just don’t be too loud when you come back, okay? I’ve got breakfast tomorrow.”

“Sure thing,” Lance promised, walking over and placing a hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “Not like you’d hear me over your snoring, anyway.” He jumped back quickly, easily avoiding Hunk’s arm as the other tried to shove him, his movements sluggish. “Okay, I’m out of here. See you in the morning,” he sang and danced out the door before Hunk could say anything else.

Lance was almost out of the dormitory when he rounded a corner and bumped into another intern. He pulled back to apologize, but stopped when he realized it was Pidge. They froze, obviously not expecting to run into anyone. “Hey, Lance,” they offered, clutching a bag to their chest.

He quirked a brow. “Do I want to know?”

“Probably not,” they answered, raising their chin defiantly.

“Fair enough.” Lance reached out and gave Pidge’s head a quick pat. “Just don’t get caught out after hours, kiddo.” And then he continued down toward the double doors.

“Hey, you’re one to talk!” Pidge called after him, but Lance ignored them. He had permission, after all. Though, he was a little curious as to what Pidge had in their bag and what they planned on doing after dark. “Have fun on your date!” Pidge added and Lance, oh so maturely, turned and stuck his tongue out at them. He was a role model.

 

The enclosure wasn’t too far away from the restaurant. Lance knew the zoo like the back of his hand and, even at night, had no trouble finding the employee entrance. As promised, Shiro was waiting for him outside. But the moment Lance saw him, he suddenly remembered.

“I forgot the coffee,” he groaned and tipped his head back. But it was too late now. He couldn’t get back into the restaurant without the key and Sal had surely gone home already. Ugh. He had _one_ job. Now their night was ruined.

“Hey.” Shiro was suddenly right in front of him, placing a hand on Lance’s upper arm in a soothing manner. “Don’t worry about it.”

But how could he not? This was supposed to be the coolest night of his life and he’d ruined it before it’d even begun. “I’m sorry, Shiro,” he sighed, hanging his head.

“It’s no big deal.” Shiro waved his hand in dismissal. “We should be able to get some from the trailer later. They finally got the power turned back on.”

Lance perked up at that, but he still wasn’t sure. “I thought the coffee machine wasn’t working, though?” He remembered, since that was why Shiro had come in the other night in the first place.

“Well, Matt called his little sister in to repair it,” Shiro explained. “And, from what I hear, Katie can fix anything, so, I’m not worried.” He flashed another one of his dazzling smiles and Lance’s legs turned to jelly. “Anyway, let’s head in. I’m sure you’re excited.”

That was an understatement. And so, on wobbly legs, Lance followed Shiro into the lion’s den.

Lance tried to absorb everything he possibly could as Shiro led him down a long hallway. There were numbers on the doors – entrances to the lion’s enclosure. He’d seen them from the other side, painted brown with a faux-rock exterior to blend in with the rest of the habitat.

But they weren’t going through any of those. No, Shiro took him deeper toward a private area for lions that needed to be kept away from the others. And there, lying with her back to them and her fur pressed up against the glass, as Nyekundu. Lance sucked in a breath and her ear twitched.

“I will warn you,” Shiro began. “She’s a little moody.”

Lance stepped forward, placing his hand against the glass and smiling as the lioness regarded him over her shoulder. “I don’t mind,” he breathed and then turned toward Shiro. “So was my oldest sister, Marisol. And she was only having twins.”

Shiro chuckled and Lance looked back at Nyekundu. She was so round and plump, nothing like her usual svelte self that prowled through the enclosure and hopped from rock to rock, lording over the other lionesses like a queen. “Hey, girl,” he whispered and her ear twitched again before she faced away.

Lance didn’t pout. He was too busy savoring this experience. The lions never got this close to the glass on the guests’ side. They were usually pretty hard to spot in the large enclosure. But now he was only a few millimeters of tempered glass away.

Then, just as Shiro opened his mouth to apologize on her behalf, Nyekundu moved, standing up on tired legs, her round belly sagging as she maneuvered herself onto her other side. Then she flopped down, staring right at Lance.

“I think she likes you,” Shiro said, sounding amused.

“Wow.” Lance didn’t know if he’d said it out loud, but he pressed closer, his breath fogging the glass. “She’s beautiful.”

“Hey! I brought coffee!” An unfamiliar voice called from behind them. Lance didn’t want to move, but he tore his gaze away to greet their guest. “I told you Katie was a whiz at this kind of stuff. I should have asked her earlier,” the man said. “But I was so sure I could fix it.”

“And then you lost power for half the offices,” Shiro added, raising an eyebrow, but happily accepting the steaming cup the other offered him.

“So, who’s this?” the other man asked, gesturing toward Lance with the second cup. “When you said two coffees, I expected Keith.”

Something odd gave a little twist in Lance’s stomach at the mention of the other intern’s name. And how normal it was for Shiro and him to be together. It wasn’t jealousy because, obviously, Lance was here and Keith wasn’t. But still.

“Oh, sorry.” Shiro said after he swallowed his sip. “This is Lance. He works over in food service.”

“Ah, so _he’s_ the one who supplied the coffee the other night.” The man smiled as he adjusted the large, circular frames of his glasses. He looked awfully familiar, but before Lance could ponder further on that, he introduced himself. “I’m Matt, by the way.” Then he added, “Thanks for that. You were a real life saver.”

Lance’s cheeks flushed, but he managed a quick and witty, “So, Shiro said.” He stood up from where he’d been crouched beside the lioness and extended his hand. “It’s an honor to meet you, Dr. Holt.”

“Please,” Matt snorted, pushing his glasses up again. “Dr. Holt is my father. Just call me Matt.” He took Lance’s hand and gave it a jerky shake. “Anyway, let me know the moment Nyekundu shows any changes, will you?” he said to Shiro. “I’m going to go sleep in my office for a couple hours.” And with that, Matt Holt, son of the head of the Zoological Society, disappeared down the long hall.

“He’s ridiculous.” Shiro shook his head. “But, he does have to teach the vet track kids in the morning, so it would be a waste to drive home.”

Ah, so Matt was in charge of the interns for the veterinary program. That was fitting. As long as he stitched up animals better than he fixed coffee machines.

“So,” Lance began, rolling the foam cup in his palms. “What’s the plan?”

“Well,” Shiro said, taking a seat on a short stool. “We sit here and watch Nyekundu to see if she shows any signs of going into labor.” He paused then, taking a sip of his coffee. “If you get bored, you’re more than welcome to leave. I just thought you might want to-”

“Get bored?!” Lance gasped, eyes going wide. “Are you kidding? This is awesome!” He plopped back down, right in front of the glass, starling the lioness, who jumped just the slightest bit before slipping her eyes closed once more. “Oops.” Lance’s ears burned. “Sorry.”

“She’ll be fine,” Shiro assured him. “Maybe a good scare will set her off.”

Lance recalled when his sister was near the end of her pregnancy. She had an induction date, but several months of swollen ankles and back pain and she was just ready to be done. She and their mother had tried every trick in the book, but, in the end, they had to wait. But that gave Lance an idea.

“Why not induce her?” he asked. “Is she very late?”

“She’s at a hundred and thirteen days,” Shiro sighed. “If she goes much longer, we may have to. But, as Dr. Holt always says, ‘Let nature take its course’,” Shiro quoted, sounding quite a bit like his boss. Lance snickered and then they both burst out laughing.

After a moment, they calmed down. Shiro moved his cup to his other hand to wipe a tear from his eye. It was then that Lance noticed his prosthetic. He knew about it, of course. How could he call himself a Shiro Fan and not? But the other rarely displayed it, often wearing long sleeves or keeping his arm behind his back or his hand in his pocket in photos.

He wanted to ask, but thought it rude. So, instead, he talked about the restaurant.

“How’d you like the food earlier?” he asked and Shiro, who was still chuckling a bit, finally sobered and smiled.

“It was delicious,” he said. “Great suggestions.” Then his shoulders sagged. “I do wish Keith would have ordered something more substantial, though.”

Ugh. Keith again. But Lance figured it was just because Shiro was a pretty protective guy. He cared for animals. And humans were, essentially, animals, so…it made sense that he’d worry about Keith’s caloric intake. Especially if he was part of the crew keeping an eye on Nyekundu. No need to have him passing out from malnourishment while he was on watch.

“Yeah, well, I’ll just pick something for him next time,” Lance offered.

Shiro pulled a face then. “I don’t see that ending well.”

“What is he, like, super picky?” But before the other could answer, Nyekundu made a sound, drawing their attention. Keith and his intolerances forgotten, Lance pressed his nose up against the glass, looking for any sign that the lioness might be in distress. “Is she all right?” he asked, voice high with panic.

Shiro sat back in his seat and let out a sigh. “She’s fine,” he said. “She’s just trying to get comfortable.”

“Oh.” Lance wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or not. He would be of no help if she suddenly went into labor. But the idea of witnessing the birth of three adorable lion cubs was pretty amazing. “Guess I was just excited.”

“Me, too,” Shiro agreed. “Of course, it gets a bit old after a while.” He side-eyed Nyekundu, but the lioness just yawned and sunk lower onto her side, stretching out her legs and splaying her toes.

“Aww…” Lance doted, leaning closer.

“So, I meant to ask,” Shiro began, taking another sip of his coffee. “You’re so knowledgeable about the zoo and its animals. How’d you end up working food service?” Lance must have visibly flinched because Shiro added, “I’m sorry if it’s a sore subject.”

Lance gave a sad little chuckle. “Yeah, I, uh, actually applied for the animal behaviorist program.” He sneaked a peek at the other man just in time to see Shiro’s brows rise up. “Obviously, I didn’t get in and, since I didn’t put a second choice…” he trailed off.

“I see…” Shiro lifted his cup to his lips. “Well, these positions do fill up quickly.” He cleared his throat. “Dr. Holt can handle two interns and, of course, I’ve got my hands full with Keith.”

Keith. Again. Seriously?

“So, he’s a troublemaker, huh?” Lance asked, trying to sound nonchalant. After all, Pidge had shared the story of Keith getting kicked out of his other program. How they’d gotten their hands on that information was a mystery, and one Lance didn’t have the patience or energy to solve. But Keith’s past, on the other hand, was worth investigating.

“You could say that.” Shiro set his cup down and craned his neck, rubbing at his shoulder muscle before rolling his head. “He’s been through a lot.”

“Who has?”

They both turned to face the entrance. Speak of the devil…

“Keith, what are you doing up?” Shiro frowned at him. “You’re not on duty tonight.”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Keith replied as he breezed in. He stopped when he spotted Lance and furrowed his brow. “What’s he doing here?” There was no bite to his tone, but it bothered Lance nonetheless.

“Excuse me,” Lance said, standing up to his full height and – happily – realizing he had about an inch on the other. “Shiro invited me.”

“Seriously?” Keith asked, but he was looking at Shiro. “The cafeteria guy?”

Oh, so he was ‘the cafeteria guy’ now? How about, the person who would be working side-by-side with Shiro right now if it weren’t for you?

But Lance kept his cool. He took a deep breath, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. However, before he could defend himself, Shiro was already speaking on his behalf.

“Lance was actually a candidate for behaviorist,” Shiro said. “He’s quite familiar with the lions, so I asked him out.”

Deep down, Lance knew that Shiro didn’t mean it _that_ way. Not out on a date. But out to join him in a bit of lion-watching. But try telling Lance’s heart that. If it could hear you over its constant hammering.

“Oh,” was all Keith said in response before walking toward a door that Lance hadn’t noticed before. He’d been too distracted by Nyekundu.

“Keith, we talked about this,” Shiro started. But it was too late. Keith was already inside the small enclosure.

“What’s he doing?!” Lance practically screamed. “Is he insane?!”

It was a truth universally acknowledged that people didn’t just go wandering into a lion’s den. Certainly not at night, when lions were most active and more likely to be interested in hunting. And especially when said lioness was pregnant and in no mood.

But, as Keith drew near, Nyekundu’s hackles didn’t rise. In fact, she didn’t really move much at all, save for lifting her head as if acknowledging him. “Hey, Red,” Keith said, almost too softly to be heard through the glass. “How are you feeling, girl?”

Nyekundu let him come closer. She didn’t even bat an eye when he sat beside her. She just lowered her head and rested her chin on his thigh, closing her eyes as Keith stroked her fur.

Lance was…well, not _impressed_. Because that would imply that he admired something the other intern had done. But, wow.

“What is he? A lion whisperer or something?” Lance asked Shiro, his gaze still on Keith and the gentle motion of his fingers on the lion’s head.

“He’s always been like that.” Shiro was smiling fondly again and that weird twisty feeling returned to Lance’s gut. “Anyway, it looks like we’re being relieved early.” He turned toward him. “How would you like a tour of the zoo at night?”

Like Lance could say ‘no’ to that.

 

It was almost chilly when they walked back outside. Lance rubbed his arms, wishing he’d taken the jacket he’d brought along just in case.

“Here,” Shiro offered, removing his own zip-up and handing it to Lance. “You need it more than I do.” And Lance wasn’t sure if that was a jab at his rather lanky build or not, but, seeing as Shiro had just given him a warm gift, Lance didn’t mind either way.

Shiro’s jacket was toasty and it smelled like his aftershave and something else. Sort of woodsy. Lance wasn’t exactly a cologne kind of guy – he preferred the scent of his conditioner or his face creams – but whatever Shiro’s particular fragrance was, it was subtle and comforting. And Lance found himself leaning closer to sniff the collar.

“So, tell me more about yourself,” Shiro said, startling him. Lance straightened, assuming he’d been caught, but when Shiro just smiled at him expectantly, he figured he was in the clear.

“Oh, not much to tell, really,” Lance assured him. “Youngest of three, going into my senior year of college this fall.” He gave a little shrug. “Actually…” He could already feel his cheeks heating, but he pressed on. “I was more interested in hearing about you.”

“Me?” Shiro blinked.

“Don’t laugh, okay?” Lance took a deep breath, his heart pounding. “I’ve wanted to be a behaviorist since before I knew what one was and, well…” He looked up at him sheepishly. “You’re kind of my hero, so…”

Oh. That was dumb. He shouldn’t have said that. Who just tells someone they’re your hero?

Lance was suddenly very interested in his shoes. “Sorry, that was-”

“I’m flattered,” Shiro said and, when Lance lifted his chin, he saw that the older man’s cheeks were dusted a light pink. “I’ve received my fair share of awards and commendations, but…” He gave that smile again. The Keith one. And Lance could have melted on the spot. “No one’s ever called me their hero.”

“What? Seriously?” Lanced gaped. “You’re only, like, _the_ most well-known behaviorist!” He thrust his arms out, embarrassed when the sleeves of Shiro’s jacket extended past his fingers. “I mean…you’re like a living legend.”

“Lance, please stop.” Shiro covered his face with his hand. “I’m really not.”

Perfect _and_ modest. This man was an inspiration.

“Sorry,” Lance amended. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “So, let’s just pretend that little fanboy moment never happened and we’ll, uh, continue the tour?”

Shiro lowered his hand and smiled again. “That sounds fair.”

 

They spent the rest of the night walking through the various outdoor exhibits, getting a view of the animals after dark. Lance wished he’d brought his camera, though he had a feeling it wouldn’t be able to capture it adequately.

Shiro told him about his trips across Africa and Asia and about the different zoos he’d worked for and visited, but how the Garrison always felt like home.

It was well past one in the morning by the time Shiro walked him back to the dorms.

“Thank you,” Lance said, though it, in no way, could possibly show how grateful he was. Meeting one of the lions up close, walking around the zoo on a private guided tour at night, and learning more about his hero? It was a dream come true! “I had a great time,” he added and then immediately cursed himself. That was such a date thing to say.

And, as he mentioned earlier, this was most certainly _not_ a date.

“Me, too,” Shiro said. “It’s been a while since I just walked around and...enjoyed the zoo.” There it was. One of his patented heart-fluttering, leg-jellying smiles. “Anyway,” Shiro cleared his throat. “You must be exhausted.”

“What? No way-” Lance began, interrupting himself with a yawn. “Okay. Maybe a little.”

Shiro chuckled. “Goodnight, Lance.”

“Goodnight,” he replied and then remembered he was still wearing Shiro’s jacket. “Oh.” He moved to take it off, but Shiro held a hand up.

“Keep it for now,” he said. “I’ll pick it up at lunch tomorrow.”

Lance blinked in surprise. “You’re still going to eat our food? Even though you have power again?”

Shiro nodded. “Well, my salad was really good, but the sandwich you suggested for Dr. Holt looked pretty tasty, too, so…” He rubbed the nape of his neck.

“Say no more.” Lance held up a hand. “I promise to help you navigate through the menu until you’ve tried it all.” He grinned. “See you tomorrow, Shiro.”

“See you tomorrow,” he echoed and then paused. “You know, Nyekundu might not go into labor for a bit and, even after the cubs are born, they’ll need to be under constant surveillance…” He looked up at Lance through his bangs, the white hair starkly contrasting with the dark gray of his eyes. “So, if you’re not opposed, would you care to…”

“Yes?” Lance asked, leaning just the slightest bit forward.

“Maybe we could do this again?” He coughed into his hand. “I mean, I’ve never seen Nyekundu so comfortable around another human – other than Keith, of course.”

The sweetness of the offer was soured by the mention of the other intern’s name, but Lance was still overjoyed. Shiro had invited him out again! He was going to be working with him even though he hadn’t made it into the program. The night just kept getting better.

“That would be…amazing,” Lance answered honestly, because what was pride, anyway?

“Okay. Great.” Shiro beamed. “I’ll see you tomorrow for lunch, then.” He waved and jogged off and Lance had to once again remind himself that this had not been a date.

He walked through the doors and reminded himself it was not a date. He pressed the button for his floor in the elevator and reminded himself it wasn’t a date. He unlocked his room and reminded himself that it was most certainly not a date.

Hunk, who shot up mid-snore, blinked and rubbed at his eyes. “Lance, is that you?”

“Yeah, sorry. Was I too loud?” He was sure he’d crept in as quiet as a mouse, but he _had_ been a bit distracted.

“Nah.” Hunk waved a hand in dismissal and then rolled onto his other side. “How was your date?”

Lance didn’t even skip a beat. “It was amazing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you figured out the lionesses' names yet? Keith gives Nyekundu's away, I think, haha.
> 
> As always, let me know what you think and hit me up on my Voltron sideblog [@bleucheesy](http://bleucheesy.tumblr.com)!


	3. Bonding Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They have a bonding moment and Lance finds out he's one popular guy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!! Here's the next installment~ (I know I said Sundays, but it's looking like Saturday nights for updates~)
> 
> I'd like to make a note that, back when I wrote this, I had no idea that Keith being lactose intolerant was a huge fandom headcanon. I just made him unable to digest dairy because I can't, lol.
> 
> Anyhoo~ Please enjoy this chapter, beta'd, as always, by the wonderful Alex!!  
> And thank you to everyone who's been commenting! You guys are the best!! ♥

Lance woke up a little late the next morning. Thankfully, he wasn’t on breakfast duty, but he had to cut a few tasks from his morning routine or risk being tardy and ending up on the receiving end of Sal’s wrath.

So, he quickly changed into his uniform, grabbing his phone and Shiro’s jacket – which he’d folded nice and neat – and headed toward the restaurant.

It was a relatively slow morning. No summer camps or big groups scheduled, so there wasn’t much to prepare. Even the lunch rush was more of a trickle. And so, because of the lag time, it was impossible to avoid Pidge and their devious little grin.

“So, how was your date last night?” they asked, waggling their brows and elbowing Lance in the shoulder.

“For the last time, it was _not_ a date.” Lance glared at them and then inhaled deeply through his nose before releasing a dreamy little sigh. “And, if you must know, it was the best night of my life.” Pidge snorted at that, but Lance continued, feeling just a bit curious. “Pidge, you know things, right?”

“I’m a thing-knower, yes,” Pidge replied automatically. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, you seem to know a lot about the programs and other interns and stuff, so-”

“Yeah…” Pidge quirked a brow, searching Lance’s gaze with…was that suspicion? Nah. Couldn’t be.

“I was wondering…about Shiro, um-”

“This isn’t about his arm, is it?” Pidge questioned, frowning up at him.

Lance blinked, his eyebrows shooting up. “What? No, that’s-” He shook his head. That was personal. If Shiro didn’t want to share that information, that was up to him. “I would never.”

Pidge regarded him and then nodded. “Okay. Good.” Then they leaned against the counter, their shoulders no longer rigid. “So, what did you want to know?”

“Well, do you know if Shiro’s…” He cleared his throat. “Seeing anyone?”

The other gave a slow smirk. “Not a date, huh?”

“I’m just curious!” Lance insisted, though he knew his cheeks were red. “I mean, he seems pretty close with Matt Holt.”

At that, Pidge pulled a face. “ _Please_ ,” they scoffed. “I’m certain that Shiro has better taste than _that_.”

Ouch. Okay, so maybe not. “All right, just throwing it out there.” Lance frowned. What did Pidge have against Matt? He seemed like a nice enough guy and he was kind of charming in a goofy, nerdy sort of way. But he didn’t question it, instead, he pressed on. “And Shiro seems to be quite fond of…Keith.”

When Pidge didn’t immediately answer, Lance turned toward them, fearing the worst. Were Shiro and Keith an item? Or had they been? They didn’t really seem like they were together. Well, they were together most of the time, but that was…work. It was different.

However, Pidge only looked pensive. “I’m not sure,” they finally responded. “I mean, Shiro definitely isn’t dating anyone. And he certainly wouldn’t get involved with an intern.” Lance deflated at that, but Pidge was quick to amend it. “I mean, not with an intern working directly under him.”

“I see…” So, Pidge didn’t know either. Though, they probably felt that there was something between Shiro and Keith. But, then again, Shiro had invited _Lance_ out. He’d said they should do it again. Maybe he was just being nice, but…

Pidge hummed from beside him and then cleared their throat. “Looks like we’ve got customers.”

Lance looked toward the door and spotted two unfamiliar faces. They were wearing zoo uniforms, but he didn’t remember seeing them among the other interns. And he definitely would have remembered _her_.

“Don’t even think about it,” Pidge stopped him before he could start. “One, she’s way out of your league-”

“Hey!”

“And two, Nyma’s dating the other guy from attractions.” Pidge gestured toward the man behind her with their chin.

The two were definitely nice to look at and provided a fine distraction from his inner turmoil. “I can see why they put her in _attraction_ s.” Lance winked and Pidge immediately shoved him with a roll of their eyes. “Her boyfriend’s not bad either.”

“Aren’t you interested in Shiro?” Pidge countered and Lance gave a little shrug.

“I can look, can’t I?” he offered and pushed away the little voice in the back of his mind that whispered, _‘Because Shiro’s into Keith.’_

“ _I’ll_ go take their order,” Pidge said. “Why don’t you go…count the cups or something?” And before Lance could object, Pidge had already jumped onto their register, greeting the girl with a pleasant and very un-Pidge-like, “May I take your order?”

And so, Lance went to ‘count cups’ or whatever, but just as he ducked down behind the counter, he heard the door open again. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told him who it might be. It was two-thirty and Shiro was nothing if not punctual. Lance was just glad he hadn’t gone on break yet. Maybe he could convince Sal to let him go now. He could return Shiro’s jacket and maybe get some answers. Like, namely, if the other man was single.

However, to Lance’s great surprise and dismay, it wasn’t Shiro who’d walked in, but Keith. The very last person he wanted to see at that moment.

The other looked a little lost, his brow furrowed as he read from the piece of paper clutched in his hand. He was scowling at it, actually.

Lance turned toward Pidge and saw that they were still working on the other order, so, reluctantly – and rather begrudgingly – Lance raised his hand and waved at Keith. “I can help the next person.”

Keith walked over, still staring at his list. But when he got to the counter, he finally glanced up, his dark eyes – almost violet up close – going wide for a moment. “Oh, it’s you.”

Yeah. No duh, Keith. I work here. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but Lance was better than that. “Happy to see me?” Well, not _that_ much better. A crease appeared between Keith’s brows and Lance tried his best not to roll his eyes as he continued. “Looks like they sent you in with the order today?” He gestured toward the piece of paper.

“Yeah,” Keith replied. “Shiro’s busy.”

Immediately, Lance perked up. “The cubs?” he asked, barely containing his excitement. But he eased back when Keith shook his head. “She _is_ stubborn,” Lance repeated Shiro’s earlier insinuation and was surprised when Keith glared at him.

“It’s just not time yet,” he barked.

Lance held his hands up in defense, not wanting to start a fight with the guy, especially considering the other’s lack of sleep – judging by the circles under his eyes. “I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said and then reached for the paper Keith was holding. “Here, let me help you decode this,” he offered with a smile.

Keith let his shoulders sag and gave Lance the list. “Thanks, I… Shiro’s handwriting is abysmal.”

Oh, boy. Was Keith ever right. “Geez, the guy should have become a doctor,” Lance mused and then squinted. “Well, I can make out most of this and I know he said last night that he wanted to try that sandwich.” He caught Keith moving out of the corner of his eye, but when Lance looked back up, the other was staring down at the counter. “I’ll ring this up.”

“Thank you,” Keith said, though it was so quiet, Lance could have imagined it. Still, he went down the list, deciphering what was scrawled there. But when he came to the end, something wasn’t adding up.

“Let’s do some math here, shall we?” Lance cocked his head to the side and then began ticking off on his fingers. “That’s Shiro’s, Matt’s, Dr. Holt’s and what I’m assuming is for the other two interns, but…” He held up all five fingers of one hand and the pinky of his other. “I’m not exactly a math whiz, but… It looks like we’re one lunch short.” He wiggled his pinky at Keith accusingly.

“Solid math,” the other replied, folding his arms over his chest.

“Did you not like your pretzel yesterday?” Lance asked, all teasing gone from his tone. Shiro had made it sound like Keith was super picky. “I can make a suggestion, if you’re not sure what to order…” He let the offer hang. And when Keith didn’t answer, he continued. “Unless you prefer I ask Shiro-”

“Fine,” Keith ground out through clenched teeth. “What do you suggest?”

“Well, that depends,” Lance began, placing his palms on the cash drawer and leaning forward. “What are you in the mood for?” He gestured toward the menu. “Something fried? Something a little lighter? Something cheesy?”

“No cheese,” Keith said quickly and then cleared his throat, his cheeks pink. “I’m, uh…lactose intolerant.” And maybe it was the lighting, but, for a moment, Keith kind of looked cute.

“Okay, that narrows things down.” Lance lifted a hand and rubbed his chin. “You eat meat?” Keith nodded. “How about our cheeseburger? No cheese, of course.” The other looked unsure and Lance continued. “It’s really good. Hunk’s recipe is to die for! All fresh, never frozen.” He solemnly swore.

“Yeah, I – sure.” Keith nodded and Lance rang him up.

“All right. You got your employee ID?” he asked. Keith took it out and Lance swiped it through the card reader, pausing to look at his picture. He expected a grumpy face, but Keith was smiling. He looked younger and had shorter hair. They must have just used an old photo, maybe from his last internship.

He handed it back and Keith slipped it into his pocket. Then Lance went to work bagging the large order since, after helping Nyma and her boyfriend, Pidge had disappeared again.

The order ended up filling three of their large bags and spilling over into a fourth. And with the drinks, it was impossible for one person to carry. Now, part of Lance wanted to watch Keith struggle. To try and balance everything and open the door without dropping it all to the floor. But another part of Lance, the less petty one, couldn’t leave a helpless person such as Keith alone.

“Hey, Hunk,” he called over his shoulder. “Tell Sal I’m taking my lunch.”

“You got it, buddy!” came Hunk’s disembodied voice in reply.

Then Lance turned toward Keith. “I’ll be right back.” The other looked confused, but Lance was already through the swinging door before he could question him. “Pidge.” He found them chilling next to the fryer, chatting with Hunk. “I’m going to help him carry their order,” he said. “Can you watch the front?”

“Wait.” Both Hunk and Pidge blinked. “You’re going to help him?” Hunk asked. “Your rival?”

“You know how I can’t resist helping someone in need.” Lance flashed a bright smile, ducking into the small locker area to grab what he’d come for.

“And this has nothing to do with you bringing Shiro’s jacket back to him?” Pidge asked.

Lance poked his head out, his mouth agape. He looked over at Hunk. “You _told_ them?”

“They got it out of me.” Hunk shrugged and then busied himself with scrubbing the top of the grill.

“Yeah, well.” Lance walked back over, the folded jacket in his arms. “Keith needed help and he just so happens to be heading to where Shiro is.” He puckered his lips. “I’m just killing two birds with one stone.”

“Mhm.” Pidge eyed him, but then shook their head. “All right. I’ve got the front. You go visit your boyfriend.”

“He’s not-”

“Yeah, yeah,” Pidge interrupted and then made their way back to their register.

Lance and Hunk exchanged glances and then Lance sighed. “That gremlin,” he muttered under his breath and his best friend snorted. “I’ll be back before my break’s over.” He waved and then opened the swinging door to find Keith doing his best to hold all of the bags in one arm and balance the two trays of drinks in the other. “Stop before you hurt yourself,” Lance chastised.

“What?” Keith turned toward him with a slight frown.

“I’m going with you, so quit trying to carry this all on your own.” Lance ignored Keith’s puzzled expression and carefully placed Shiro’s jacket over his shoulder before picking up the drink trays. “You get the food. I’ve got these.”

To his surprise, Keith didn’t argue, but did as he was told. Then they were on their way.

The offices for the zoological society consisted of a couple of portables behind the institute. Lance had seen them once during a behind the scenes tour on his tenth birthday and, although he didn’t quite remember the way, he knew it was a bit of a walk.

And as it turned out, Keith, for all his rapport with animals, seemed to be not so great with people. And Lance was never one to tolerate silence.

“So, you walk into cages often?” he asked.

Keith turned toward him, blinking in confusion for a moment before it dawned on him. “Not always,” he answered and then faced forward again.

Okay. So, that was the end of that.

“Nyekundu must really trust you,” Lance continued. “And, unless you’re hiding some massive claw marks underneath your shirt or…” He drew his brows down. “…fingerless gloves…” He shook his head and continued. “I’m guessing that’s not the first time you’ve cuddled with her.”

“It keeps her calm,” Keith replied without looking. “She’s very stressed,” he went on. “It’s her first litter.”

Lance knew that. He also knew that the lioness wasn’t the only one stressing out. He couldn’t help Keith get the sleep he so clearly needed, but at least he’d managed to get him to order some real food. And a full stomach is the first step to happiness, as his grandmother always said.

As they walked, Lance had to move his arms a bit. The drinks weren’t heavy – they only filled them partway, since there were no lids to top them, for the safety of the animals – but they were awkward. And as he readjusted, the jacket shifted and started to fall off of his shoulder. Luckily, he caught it in the crook of his elbow.

“Hey, Keith,” he said. “Little help here?”

The other stopped walking and moved the bags to one arm, picking the jacket up and returning it to its spot on Lance’s shoulder. But, after he got a good look at it, he paused, an odd expression on his face.

“Keith? Buddy? You okay?”

“This is Shiro’s.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yeah,” Lance confirmed anyway. “He let me borrow it last night. It was kind of chilly and, ya know…” he trailed off, unsure what to say. Keith didn’t appear angry or sad. He just looked…hurt, maybe? But, the moment Lance thought he’d identified it, Keith’s expression changed, back to what could only be described as a mask of neutrality. Then he continued onward.

They walked in silence for a bit. But, as mentioned earlier, all silences were awkward to Lance. So, he had no choice but to fill it.

“So, you got into the behaviorist program,” Lance threw out conversationally. “That’s really impressive, dude.”

“Oh.” Keith faced him and then back in the direction they were going. “Thanks, I guess.”

He guessed. Lance inwardly rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I mean, it’s really hard to get. What with the spots being limited and all.” He chewed on his bottom lip. He’d already told Shiro, so why not share with Keith? He didn’t seem like the type to blab. “You know, I applied for that program.”

“So Shiro said.” Keith replied, sounding like he just wanted to be done with this walk.

“Oh, yeah.” Lance frowned at his profile. “You know, I might just be ‘the cafeteria guy’ to you, but believe it or not, I’m really passionate about zoology and animal behavior.” There was heat building behind his eyes, but he blinked it away. “Sorry we can’t all get lucky and transfer in.”

Keith came to an abrupt halt and Lance nearly tripped over his foot. He turned, gaze not meeting Lance’s. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

But Lance did know. Pidge had told him. Well, maybe he didn’t know the details, but he knew enough. But, once again, he calmed himself down. Getting into a fight with Keith wouldn’t get him anywhere. So, he took a deep breath and managed a quick, “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Keith looked up then, obviously taken by surprise. Did he think Lance was going to continue arguing with him or something? Well, maybe. Lance’s tone _had_ gotten pretty heated. “It’s all right,” Keith said softly and then went back to walking.

Lance opened his mouth to say something else, but Keith actually beat him to it.

“I know you’re passionate,” Keith said. “Shiro told me.”

“He…did?” Lance blinked. He vaguely recalled Shiro telling Keith a little about Lance when he walked in the night before, but he hadn’t used that word exactly.

“Yes. And he said that Red likes you.” Keith slowed his pace as they came to a gate. He juggled the bags to free his hand and lifted the latch before stepping to the side to let Lance through. But he said nothing further as they continued on.

“So…” Lance cleared his throat. “Did Shiro say anything else about me?”

“Oh, there you are!” someone called. It was Matt, poking his head out of the trailer with a bright smile on his face. “I was starting to wonder if you’d gotten lost.” Then he turned toward Lance. “Ah, so we meet again.” He ducked back inside, shouting something that was muffled by the door, and then he reappeared. “Well, don’t just stand there. C’mon in!”

Lance followed Keith up the wooden steps, careful not to spill the drinks. Matt held the door for them and it swung quickly shut once he let go. The inside of the trailer looked like a regular office. A few desks, a small refrigerator, and the infamous coffee machine.

“Did you get my quesadilla?” Matt asked excitedly, reaching for one of the bags and finding the flat box. It was another new addition to the menu, thanks to Hunk. “Yes!” Matt cheered and pulled out the containers of sour cream and salsa that went with it.

A moment later, Shiro appeared, stepping in through the door on the other side. He looked out of breath and he smoothed down his hair before he caught sight of Lance. “Hey, there.” He waved.

Lance wanted to reply, he really did. But it was hard when the other man looked so…perfect. His smile was warm, his cheeks slightly flushed from exertion. Finally, Lance recovered, setting the drinks down on the other desk. “I figured, since you didn’t stop by…” He removed the jacket from his shoulder and held it out to Shiro. “I’d just bring it to you.”

Matt said something that Lance didn’t catch and Shiro elbowed the bespectacled man before taking his jacket back. “Thank you, Lance.”

“Did I hear someone say lunch?” another person asked and Lance recognized his voice from orientation – and the only cassette-tape-guided tour of the institute. It was Dr. Samuel Holt. “Keith, did they have my salad?”

“Uh…” He looked to Lance for help.

“We sure did, Sir.” Lance reached for the correct bag and handed it off. “Caesar, no croutons, extra anchovies, with the dressing on the side.” He beamed and the other man adjusted his glasses, getting a better look at him.

“This is Lance,” Shiro introduced him.

“Oh, so _this_ is Lance,” Dr. Holt said. “First you save us all by keeping my son caffeinated and now you’re hand-delivering our lunch. My, Sal is lucky to have you.” Lance blushed to his ears, but that didn’t stop the older man. “And I heard from Takashi that you had some one-on-one time with our Nyekundu.”

Lance shot Shiro a nervous glance. Had he gotten him in trouble?

“I told Dr. Holt about how you applied for the behaviorist internship,” Shiro explained. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Yes, it’s a shame we can only handle so many participants.” Dr. Holt shook his head. “Well, I’m not one to come between a young mind and its thirst for knowledge. So, you’re certainly welcome to some more afterhours visits,” he said and then added, “So long as it doesn’t interfere with your food service responsibilities.”

Shiro stepped in, placing a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “I’ll make sure not to take up too much of his time.” He gave him a reassuring squeeze and Lance could have melted into a puddle on the spot.

“Very good.” Dr. Holt nodded. “Well, speaking of interns, I’ve got two hungry ones waiting for me in my office.” He took the bag from Lance and another from the desk, along with one of the trays of drinks. “Thank you again, Lance. I’m sure I’ll be seeing a lot more of you.”

Lance stood there for a moment, the only thing grounding him being Shiro’s hand, still placed firmly on his shoulder. “Did that seriously just happen?” he asked, apparently out loud.

“Sure did.” Shiro gave him a couple pats and then reached for his own lunch. He took a seat beside Matt, who was ravenously digging into his quesadilla like he hadn’t eaten in weeks. Shiro, as Lance had noted earlier, had an almost dainty way of eating. It was just another thing about him that Lance liked. After he swallowed a bite, Shiro dabbed his mouth with a napkin. “It’s just as good as I thought,” he said to Lance and then turned his attention on Keith. “And what did you order, young man?”

Keith bristled at the use of that particular term of endearment and Lance bit his lip to keep from snickering. “I got a burger,” he replied, grabbing his sandwich from the bag and unwrapping it. “Happy?”

“I will be when you take a bite,” Lance interrupted their moment. “I’ve got to report back to Hunk, after all. And I do feel sort of responsible, since it was my suggestion.”

Keith turned away from Shiro and faced Lance, purposely making a show of taking a bite of his burger. He chewed it thoughtfully for a moment before his dark violet eyes lit up and a light pink dusted his cheeks. “It’s…” He swallowed. “It’s delicious.”

“Ha! Told you so!” Lance preened, strutting around the office like a peacock. “Just wait until you try Hunk’s boardwalk fries,” he said. “We’re testing them out tomorrow, so come on by.”

“Okay,” Keith said and then went back to eating his burger. And something about the whole scenario – err, well – once again Lance thought Keith looked – and just the slightest bit, mind you – but he looked…cute. When he wasn’t super cranky, that is.

“Your Lance truly is a miracle worker,” Matt mused, elbowing Shiro in the ribs. “Even Keith likes him.”

And Lance, not sure which part of what Matt said was more embarrassing, just coughed into his fist and turned his attention on Shiro, whose ears were just the lightest shade of pink. “Well,” Lance began. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow for lunch.” And then, feeling brave, he added, “Unless you bail on me again,” he teased.

“Right. Sorry about that.” Shiro set his beloved sandwich down and had the decency to look guilty. “There was a press conference today and all of the reporters wanted to know about Nyekundu’s condition. And Dr. Holt figured I’d be the best person to speak to them.” He glanced up at him through his bangs. “I promise I’ll come by tomorrow.”

“Me, too,” Keith said, earning a shocked look from them all. “What?” He frowned. “I want to try the fries.”

Something warm bubbled up in Lance’s chest then. It was odd, but not at all unpleasant.

“Uh oh, Lance,” Matt said, resting his chin in his palm and staring up at him. “You’ve got them hooked.”

“My diet’s ruined,” Shiro piled on. “You must take responsibility.” He winked. Oh, sweet fancy yams, he winked. And Lance’s pulse kicked into overdrive.

“I’ll just try to be the best…assistant lion watcher there is, then,” he offered, hoping it sounded more charming than goofy. It must have, because Shiro gave him that soft little smile again. “Well, I’d love to stick around, but I’m actually on my lunch break and if I don’t hurry back, Sal won’t let me eat.”

Both Shiro’s and Keith’s faces fell, their dark eyes growing large. “Oh, Lance. I’m sorry we kept you,” Shiro apologized.

“Nah, it’s really no big deal.” He waved them off. “Hunk will be happy to hear that you’re all enjoying his new recipes, so it was worth it.” And before they could say another word, Lance opened the door. “Anyway, we’ll make extra fries tomorrow afternoon, so you better keep your promise.” It was directed toward Shiro, but both he and Keith nodded. “See you later!”

Lance closed the door behind him and hopped down the steps, beating it back toward the restaurant. If he hurried, he might have time to nosh on something before it was time to clock back in. And, even as he rushed back, he couldn’t stop thinking about what had just happened.

He’d gotten permission to continue visiting Shiro and the lions. Of course, the older man _had_ already invited him to do so, but Dr. Holt saying it made it all official. It felt nice. And so did the little tingle in his belly he got when Shiro smiled at him. And that wink! It was almost as cute as Keith’s face when he bit into his burger.

Lance’s steps faltered for a moment. Then he shook his head. He must have been super hungry, because he was clearly delirious. He picked up the pace and didn’t slow until he was seated at a table with a tray of food in front of him.

He’d gotten the burger.

 

Lance spent the rest of his shift in a sort of fog. He was going through the motions as he recalled everything that had happened to him over the last twenty-four hours. It was amazing. And the next day, he’d get to do it again.

He was just in the middle of restocking the condiment bar, when Lance overheard a distressed customer. It was nearly closing time and the restaurant was empty, save for one family. The kids and mother were sitting at the table, clearly spent from the long day. And what looked to be their grandfather was talking to Pidge at the counter.

Pidge, who was actually very good with the guests – looked like they were in trouble. And Lance, not one to stand idly by, intended to help solve the issue. Maybe there was a problem with his food or something.

But as Lance drew nearer, he understood. He just caught the tail end of what the older gentleman was saying. _“-no tenemos pitillos._ ”

Pidge was about to respond, their face apologetic, when Lance stepped in. “ _Lo siento_ ,” he apologized. “ _Para la seguridad de nuestros animales, no se permiten los pitillos y tapas.”_

“Oh.” The man blinked and then smiled in understanding. “ _Ah, perdón._ ”

But Lance waved his hand in dismissal. “ _No hay promblema_.” He grinned. _“¿Algo más? ¿Unas galletas para los niños?”_

The man shook his head. “ _No, gracias_.” Then he faced Pidge. “I apologize.”

“No problem,” Pidge replied before he returned to his seat. “Thank you,” they said to Lance once the man was gone. “I didn’t know you spoke Spanish.”

“Well, I don’t really advertise it, though it is on my resume,” he added with a waggle of his brows. “But I am a little rusty. We only really speak it when my grandma’s home.”

“Don’t let him feed you that,” Hunk interrupted, suddenly appearing beside him. “He’s completely fluent.”

Lance’s face grew warm and he made to object, but stopped when, out of the corner of his eye, he thought he spotted an older woman. But when he turned, she was gone. He was going to ask Pidge if they’d seen her, but Hunk continued, resting a hand on the counter.

“Pidge, I thought you said you were Italian.” Hunk furrowed his brow. “Aren’t Spanish and Italian pretty similar?”

“Well, yeah, they are,” Pidge answered. “But I’m only half on my mom’s side. It’s not like I speak it.”

Both Lance and Hunk blinked in surprise. “Seriously? Even though it’s your heritage?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Pidge rolled their eyes. “When’s the last time you spoke Samoan, Hunk?”

He snorted at that, covering it up by rubbing his nose. “Touché.”

 

The rest of the night was easy and soon, Lance was back in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, too excited to go to sleep. He thought about how he’d get to see Shiro again in a few short hours. How he’d see the looks on both his and Keith’s faces when they tried the newest addition to their menu.

Speaking of which, one thing he’d forgotten when he told Shiro and Keith about the fries Hunk planned to test the following day was that Lance wouldn’t actually be working. Weird as it was – and as crazy as the shifts were – they did occasionally get days off. Well, no matter. Lance would just come in anyway and chill in the dining room.

And so, with thoughts of fries tossed in vinegar, lion cubs, and Shiro’s soft smile, Lance drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He's so smitten.  
> (Who?)
> 
> Thanks for your continued support~ Feel free to shout at me about this AU any time!! XD


	4. Opportunity Knocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A call home, lunch, a new opportunity, and more bonding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, everyone!! Here's the next installment~  
> I got a few comments asking about the lions and, although they don't play much of a role in this chapter, you're going to see a lot more of them in the next one!
> 
> Here's my usual shout out to Alex for being a kick-butt beta and encouraging me to complete this fic! ♥  
> Please enjoy~

The next morning, Lance slept in. It was a thing of beauty, not having anywhere to be. Hunk was already gone – ready to start another day of experimenting in the kitchen – and so Lance was alone, content to stretch his arms over his head and snuggle back into his crisp, clean sheets.

That was, until he noticed a blinking light out of the corner of his eye. At first he thought it might be Shiro. Maybe Nyekundu had gone into labor overnight and he’d called to leave Lance a message. But then he remembered that he hadn’t given Shiro his number yet – something he’d definitely rectify today. He was working with him now, so it would be good if the older man could easily contact him.

Yup. That was the only reason.

Curious as to who would call – as Hunk almost never kept his phone on him while working – Lance sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and picked up his cell. And there was the little notification, _One missed call from Mamá_.

Lance smiled as he unlocked his screen and called her back. He did feel a little guilty. He hadn’t checked in with his family since orientation. He just didn’t want them to know that he hadn’t gotten into his program of choice.

On the third ring, his mother picked up. “You better have a good reason,” she started, voice stern.

“Sorry, _Mamá_ ,” he apologized. “I’ve been kind of busy.”

“Too busy for your mother?” She sounded like she was frowning. “Put on the video. Let me see my baby’s face.”

Lance snorted, but covered it up with a cough, quickly pulling his phone away and turning on his camera.

“Ah, there he is.” She smiled on the screen, her reading glasses resting low on her nose. She’d probably thrown them on to see who was calling her and just left them there. “Okay now. Let’s hear all about it.”

“Where do I start?” Lance asked, honestly stalling. Should he tell his mother that he was in a different program? Or should he gloss over it and mention his mini-internship with Shiro, Keith, and the lions?

“Start from the beginning,” she answered. “How is your room? Are you in there now?” She looked around as if that would give her a better view. “And how is Hunk? Are you roommates like you thought?”

“Yes,” he replied. “This is my room.” He turned his phone so she could get a full 360. “And Hunk and I are rooming together, but he’s at work right now. I’m off today.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear they’re not overworking you.” She smiled warmly, finally removing her glasses. “How is the internship, baby? Are you seeing a lot of animals? Do you feed them?”

Well, humans counted as animals, right? He certainly fed his fair share of those. “Sure am, _Mamá_.” He beamed. Then he took a deep breath. He knew his mother’s policy on lying. He may as well tell her now. “Actually, I’ve been working with Hunk in food service,” he admitted, glancing off to the side.

“Oh, my little monkey.” His mother sounded disappointed.

“I know. The behaviorist program had too many applicants and, well…” he trailed off, finally looking back at the screen.

“Well, you are working at the zoo, are you not?” she asked. “And you are with Hunk. Oh,” she paused, as if remembering something. “Kiss him for me, will you?”

Lance pulled a face, but then nodded. “I’ll pass it along.”

“Good.” She bobbed her head once. “I’m sorry that you don’t get to work with the animals, baby. I know that was your dream.”

“Well, actually,” he began, feeling a little excited now that his bad news was out of the way. “I’ve sort of been recruited for this special project.”

“Special project?” She cocked her head to the side.

“Yeah, you know Takashi Shirogane?” he asked.

She brightened then, immediately launching into a series of, “Your hero,” and “That attractive man from the cover of your magazine,” and a few other things he didn’t need to hear his mother repeat. _Ever_ in this lifetime.

“Yeah, that’s the one.” He chuckled. “Anyway, one of the zoo’s lionesses is pregnant and I get to keep watch over her and her cubs.”

“Oh, monkey!” she cheered, clapping her hands excitedly. “It’s like your dream!”

“I know.” His cheeks grew warm as he ducked his head. “It’s pretty cool.”

“It’s very cool!” she corrected. “That is wonderful!” Then she changed the subject. “So, other than Hunk and the big man on campus, have you made any friends?”

And so, Lance told her about Pidge, and Matt Holt. And Keith, too. And about everything Hunk had done at the restaurant and what a great time he was having.

By the time his mother had to go – his sister was over with the twins again – it was nearly lunch. Lance’s stomach gurgled and figured now was as good a time as any to swing by a see his friends. He’d slept enough and, if necessary, he could take another nap before his lion watch shift with Shiro later than night.

So, he hopped in the shower, changed into street clothes, and then headed toward the restaurant.

 

When he arrived, the lunch rush was at its peak, so Lance took a free seat – an extra chair that wasn’t currently being used by their patrons – and played around on his phone until the mass of customers dispersed to other areas of the park.

After the sea of people had parted, Lance spotted a familiar face. It was Iverson, the militant-looking man who was in charge of overseeing the fellowships, as well as operations at the zoo. He was talking with Sal, who looked rather annoyed with his arms crossed over his chest and his brow drawn down.

“Sal, be reasonable-”

“I can’t spare the help, Mitch,” Sal said, voice gruff. “My new head chef’s menu has the customers lining up and I can’t afford to let one of my cashiers go.”

“Not even for a day?” An older woman stepped out from behind Iverson. She looked very familiar. And, after a moment, Lance recognized her. She was the woman he’d caught a glimpse of the night before. She was dressed in a smart suit, her short hair combed back neatly.

“Dr. Holt,” Sal removed his bandana and lowered his head.

“Oh, Sal, we needn’t such formalities.” She shook her head. “After all, we’re on a level playing field, both of us leading our respective interns.” She smiled up at him. “And you’ve known me for years now. Call me Colleen.”

Lance could see Sal’s reddened cheeks from where he sat and he stifled a snicker. It was always amusing to see Sal flustered – as long as you weren’t the reason and whatever the cause wasn’t a punishable offense.

“All right,” Sal said, his gaze shifting over to Iverson before returning to Colleen. “I’ll hear you out.”

“Thank you, Salvatore.” Colleen placed a hand on his arm and Sal’s face went pink again. “Now, I’d like to speak to you about that cashier of yours.”

At that, Lance perked up. Had one of his team members done something? He was hoping it wasn’t Pidge. As much as they teased each other, he didn’t want the other to get in any trouble. Then again, the other food service kids were nice, too – even though he rarely got to work with them.

“So Mitch said,” Sal replied. “I do apologize, Colleen, but he’s actually off today.”

Okay. Now it was starting to sound like they were talking about him. Which was impossible, because Lance knew he’d done nothing wrong. Well, there had been the Mop Incident, but that was ages ago. He wracked his brain, trying to think of what he could have possibly done, but stopped when he heard them speak again.

“Isn’t that him right over there?” Colleen asked. And when Lance looked up, all three of them were staring at him. He gulped and sat up straighter in his chair, offering a weak smile and raising his hand in greeting.

“C’mon over, Kid.” Sal motioned for him to join them and Lance, despite his sudden onset of nerves, made his way over.

He pondered what this could possibly be about. Iverson was kind of a big wig, right? And Sal hadn’t complained about him at all. In fact, he’d praised him just the other day…sort of. Well, it seemed like praise. He hadn’t yelled at him and had even said ‘good job.’ Or something close to that. It was hard to tell. And Colleen was Dr. Holt’s wife, and an animal behaviorist in her own right, a champion for animal rights and the safety of all those kept in captivity.

Lance couldn’t imagine what someone from the institute wanted with him.

“Don’t look so downtrodden,” Colleen said, catching his attention. “I promise this is nothing bad.”

Lance relaxed a bit at that, but still felt a little nervous.

“Sal has agreed to let Dr. Holt borrow you the day after tomorrow,” Iverson informed as he looked down his nose at him. “You’ll receive a training packet today, which you’ll be expected to study, and a script, which you should have memorized before then.”

Lance blinked, his gaze shifting between the three of them. “Um…”

“That is, only if you want to,” Colleen amended. “Perhaps it would be best if we explained the situation?” And to that, Lance nodded dumbly, unable to figure out what was going on. “I happened to witness you expertly handling a customer last night,” she said. “You see, we have a large group scheduled to visit the day after tomorrow and, because of the language barrier, we intended to hire outside help in the form of a translator, but we would much prefer to utilize our own personnel,” she explained. “Especially one as knowledgeable as you.”

Whoa. Wait. Hold on.

“Me?” Lance gaped, pointing at himself.

“Yes,” Sal answered. “It pains me to lose my best cashier, but I suppose we can make do for one day.”

Again. Shock. He was Sal’s best cashier? Lance was the best? That’s what he was hearing. Wow, that was just-

“So, what do you say?” Colleen smiled at him, extending her hand. “Would you help us out by giving this tour?”

Things were happening much too quickly. Lance was part of the food service internship. And then he was helping the animal behaviorists. Now the tour guides wanted a piece of him? He felt overwhelmed and pleased and nervous and…wanted. It felt pretty nice, actually.

He reached out and took Colleen’s offered hand, giving it a shake. “I’d be honored.”

“Wonderful!” she cheered. “Mr. Iverson will set you up with your tour guide handbook and, if you have any questions, here’s my card.” She handed it to him, still giving a gentle smile. “You’re really saving us, Lance.”

She knew his name! Well, of course, she did. It was probably in the system. And he’d taken a photo for his employee ID, which could easily be searched. But still!

He was really starting to feel like a celebrity.

“It’s my pleasure,” he replied, finally, his mind still reeling. “I’m happy to help in any way.”

“Good.” Iverson shoved a thick booklet into his hands. “Have the script memorized and, uh, thank you.”

Lance grinned. “You’re welcome.”

After both Iverson and Colleen left, Lance walked over to the counter, where a curious Pidge greeted him. “Was that Dr. Holt?” they asked. Obviously, they’d been in the back and missed the entire exchange.

“Sure was,” Lance replied, dropping his handbook onto the counter and making a show of flipping it open.

“Did she, uh…” Pidge leaned over the counter, looking out toward the glass doors. “Did she want anything?”

Lance just quirked an eyebrow at the other’s odd behavior. Though, it was par for the course with Pidge, really. “Well, actually, since you asked-”

“Lance!” Hunk appeared from the back, his brow creased and his lower lip jutting out. “Sal says you’re leaving me?!”

“What?” Pidge gasped and then turned toward Lance. “ _What?_ ”

“Hold on, hold on!” Lance held his hands up in a placating manner. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “The tour guides are just borrowing me for a day.”

“Oh.” Both Hunk and Pidge seemed to relax. Then Hunk let out a sigh. “I thought you were jumping ship.”

“And abandon you guys when you _so clearly_ need me?” Lance asked. “Never!” Pidge rolled their eyes and Hunk just shook his head with a little smile. “Anyway,” Lance continued. “I’m going to be gone the day after tomorrow.”

“That’s what Sal said.” Hunk pouted. “I guess we’ll find a way to cope,” he added melodramatically. Then he chuckled. “So, what are they borrowing you for?” Hunk leaned on the counter, as did Pidge, both looking interested – though the latter tried to pretend they weren’t.

“Guess there’s this big group coming in and they want me to lead them around,” he explained. “Apparently, Dr. Holt saw me speaking with that customer last night.”

“Oh, yeah. I remember hearing something about a huge group from Puerto Rico coming to visit,” Pidge said, rubbing their chin. “But I thought mo—Dr. Holt was going to bring in a translator?”

“Well, who needs a translator when you have the paragon of bilingual and zoological knowledge right here?” Lance asked and, when the other two fixed him with unimpressed looks, he gave a little shrug. “Okay, so I need to work on the title.”

“Yeah, it’s the title that needs work,” Pidge said sarcastically and Hunk snorted. “So, what brings you in on your day off?” they asked. “Cuz we totally saw you before Dr. Holt and Iverson called you over.”

“What? I can’t visit my favorite co-workers?” Lance held a hand to his chest. “And…” he continued, “ya know, try Hunk’s boardwalk fries?”

“I knew it.” Pidge crossed their arms over their chest.

“Well, even if we didn’t eat here for free, I would have come in,” Lance promised. “Though, I should probably drive the car around a bit before her belts get corroded and her battery dies.”

“It’s been, like, a week, dude.” Hunk shook his head. They’d carpooled in Hunk’s ride, but Lance knew his best friend understood. Ever since his minor accident, Lance was well aware of just how much fixing a car would cost. “Well, we can go out for a joy ride later, but for now, I need your opinion on these.”

“I live to serve!” Lance said proudly as he picked up his handbook and chased Hunk down the counter. He waited rather impatiently for his fries, but they’d been worth it. He saved the panini – another new addition – for later and immediately dug in, savoring the delicious taste of sea salt and vinegar. “Huuuuuuunk,” he moaned, closing his eyes as the flavor enveloped his tongue. “Oh, my gosh.”

“I know, right?” Hunk beamed at him. At least, Lance figured he had. His eyes were still closed. “I wasn’t sure if we were cutting them too thick. There were a few fry cutters to choose from-”

“Wait. You _cut_ these? Like…from fresh potatoes?” Lance’s eyelids fluttered open as he regarded his best friend.

“Well…yeah?” Hunk offered. “I mean. I told you it’s cheaper than getting the frozen, pre-made stuff.” He gave a little shrug.

“You.” Lance shook his head in awe. “You are amazing.”

Hunk blushed and Pidge made a gagging sound from their spot behind the register. Just then, the door opened, and two familiar figures walked inside. Lance’s brows shot up, his gaze flicking to the clock. It was barely after one.

“You’re awfully early,” he said and then both of them turned toward him, their dark eyes wide, almost guilty, as though they’d been caught.

“Lance.” Shiro was the first recover. “We had a free moment and…” he trailed off, rubbing the nape of his neck.

“We wanted to try the fries,” Keith answered simply, shamelessly. “Are those them?” He walked closer, eyeing the tray on the table between Lance and Hunk.

“I’d better go whip up some more,” Hunk said, pushing his chair away from the table and standing up. “I’m sure we’ll get another rush in a bit.” Then he turned toward Shiro. “Have a seat.”

“But I haven’t even ordered yet,” Shiro began, but Hunk was already gone, disappearing through the swinging door. Shiro faced Lance, confused.

“Just let Hunk surprise you,” Lance said. “He’s almost never wrong.”

Shiro still looked a little uncertain, but he took the offered seat – Hunk’s –across from Lance. Keith, who hadn’t even been invited yet, sat down right next to him, immediately reaching for a fry.

“Um, excuse you,” Lance said with a huff. “Where are your manners?”

At that, Keith blushed, the pale skin of his cheeks taking on a beautiful rosy color. And Lance, who should have been angry at him for attempting to steal one of his precious fries, thought it was adorable. “Sorry,” Keith mumbled, looking down.

“Hey, don’t worry about it.” Lance waved him off. “Hunk’s making more, so we can share.” He held the paper boat toward Keith, who hesitated. “Go on. I won’t bite,” Lance teased and Keith’s flush darkened.

But he snatched a couple fries anyway and popped them into his mouth. Then, just like with the burger, his eyes grew large as he chewed. Then he licked the excess salt from his lips. “Those are really good.”

And Lance, who was weak to Keith’s ‘yummy food’ face, set the fries in front of him. “Take the rest,” he said and then quickly added, “I’ll take the fresh ones.”

If Keith was offended, he didn’t show it. He just went to town on the fries, shoving four or five in his mouth at a time. He reminded Lance of the stray cat he used to feed on the way home from school. A skinny little thing who ate like a horse, scarfing down every bit until there was nothing left. And, again, he found Keith’s behavior…almost charming, in a weird way.

“Are you ready for tonight?” Shiro asked, catching Lance’s attention.

How on Earth had he been so distracted when his own hero was sitting right across from him? Lance internally smacked himself. But before he could respond, Shiro glanced down, eyeing Lance’s handbook.

“Tour guide?” Shiro wondered aloud.

“Oh, yeah.” Lance picked it up, passing it over, in case the other wanted a better look. “Dr. Holt, well, Mrs. Dr. Holt,” he paused. “I’m not sure how they differentiate.” He shook his head. “Anyway, she stopped by and asked if I’d lead a group in a couple of days.”

Shiro lifted the book, eyes scanning as he flipped through the pages. “And she expects you to memorize all of this before then?” he asked.

“Well, not _all_ of it,” Lance argued. “Just the script. And I’ll be mostly answering questions in Spanish, so-”

“Hoo hweak phwaniph?” Keith asked, his mouth full of fries. Again, manners? Who raised him?

“Yes, I ‘hweak phwaniph’,” he mimicked. “It’s just one of the many interesting things you don’t know about ‘that cafeteria guy’.” Keith winced at that and Lance felt a little guilty. They weren’t really rivals, after all. Well, maybe they were. It was hard to say, really. They’d sort of had that burger bonding moment. “Sorry,” Lance added, belatedly.

Keith swallowed. “It’s okay.” He bobbed his head and then stuffed a few more fries into his mouth.

A moment later, Hunk reappeared, carrying a tray of all sorts of goodies. “Okay, I’ve got a chicken parm for Shiro. I tried panko bread crumbs. I know. It’s a little crazy, but I figured it was worth a shot.” He set down the paper boat. “And for Keith, I’ve got a vegan cheese dog.”

Keith pulled a face, but Hunk continued.

“I mean, it’s an all-beef frank,” he said. “It’s just the cheese that’s vegan.” He sighed. “I really should have rethought the name.”

“Oh.” Hesitantly, Keith reached out for it. “Thanks, um…?”

“Right! We haven’t really been introduced.” Hunk cleared his throat. “I’m Hunk.”

“Keith,” he replied, though it was obvious that Hunk knew who he was.

“Hunk, your food is fantastic,” Shiro said. “It’s an honor meeting the man behind these amazing culinary masterpieces.”

“Wow.” Hunk stood there, starry-eyed. Then he snapped out of it. “Such a way with words. It’s no wonder that Lance is so-”

“Hunk!” Lance quickly interrupted. “Don’t you have some cooking to do? In the back?”

“Nope, I’m all caught up.” He smiled and took the only seat left at the table, between Lance and Shiro. “So, you’re taking Lance out again tonight?” he asked Shiro, resting an elbow on the table and his chin in his palm.

“Ah, yes,” Shiro replied as he set his sandwich down. “Lance will be helping to keep an eye on Nyekundu.”

“Mhm.” Hunk eyed him suspiciously. “And it’ll just be the two of you? Alone?”

“Hunk!” Lance gaped. Why did he have to go all ‘protective best friend’ right at that moment? Lance and Shiro were _working_ together. It wasn’t like they were dating. Even if Shiro had lent him his jacket. And walked him around the zoo at night. And asked him out again…

“Well, I can’t promise that Keith won’t pop in,” Shiro answered with a chuckle. “Though, he promised me that he’d try and get some sleep tonight.” He narrowed his eyes at the younger man, who waved him off before taking a bite of his hot dog.

“I just don’t want anything happening to Lance,” Hunk said. “He’s really important to me-”

“ _Hunk!_ ” Lance shouted again, finally jumping up from his seat. He grabbed Hunk by the arm and marched him toward the back, his face blazing. He only released him when they made it through the swinging door. “Dude…um…what?” Lance asked, throwing his arms out.

“What?” Hunk replied innocently.

“Why were you grilling Shiro like a shot-gun-polishing father on prom night?” he paused. “Wait. That made more sense in my head.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just…explain yourself.”

“I told you before,” Hunk began, “I’m going to look out for you.”

Lance sighed, his shoulders dropping. “And I appreciate that, but…it’s not like Shiro and I are dating.”

“Are you sure about that?” Hunk questioned, folding his arms over his chest. “I mean…have you _seen_ the way he looks at you?”

“Of course, I have-” Lance froze, his brain finally processing what his best friend had said. “How he what now?”

“Shiro is smitten,” Hunk said. Lance opened his mouth to object, because...no. There was no way.

“Totally smitten,” Pidge joined in, materializing beside Hunk. “I mean, I didn’t really think it was possible, but…” They shrugged. “It’s so obvious that he’s got a thing for you.”

Lance blinked. He swallowed, cleared his throat, and then blinked again. “Guys-”

“I know it’s hard to believe, since he’s your hero and all, but…” Hunk bit his lower lip. “Dude, he’s totally crushing on you.”

That was impossible. Lance was just, well, Lance. Sure, he was cool and slowly becoming a zoo celebrity. But Shiro was just so…Shiro! He was handsome and smart and so much cooler. And Lance had looked up to him for so long. He was the youngest recipient of the Distinguished Animal Behaviorist Award. People like him didn’t crush on people like Lance.

“I don’t really think-”

“A truer statement has never been said,” Pidge interrupted with a smirk. And it took Lance a moment to get offended. But, by then, they were already speaking again. “Shiro likes you. And you’re going on a second date.”

“It’s not a-”

“Well, some of us have to get back to work.” Pidge said as they shooed him out the door. “Now, go play nice.” And, with that, they swung the door shut, the stainless steel nearly hitting Lance in the nose.

Lance just didn’t know what to make of all that. Hunk saw the way that Shiro _‘looked at him’_? What did that mean? Did Shiro look at him any differently? How was that possible? He glanced up just in time to catch Keith nearly choking on a fry – or ten – and the way that Shiro shook his head fondly as he clapped a hand on the younger man’s back.

There was no way that Shiro looked at him like that. All soft and sweet, his dark gray eyes full of untold emotion. It was impossible. He was certain.

But, wow, he thought, as Shiro handed a blushing Keith a napkin. It sure would be nice if he did.

Almost as if he could sense Lance’s eyes on him, Shiro turned, a bright smile spreading on his face. “You’re back.” And then he frowned slightly, his brow creased with concern. “Is everything all right?”

“What?” Lance blinked. Say something! Right. Okay. “Yeah. I’m totally fine,” he said smoothly, sashaying by them and returning to his seat. There was only a bit of his lunch left, so he quickly shoved it into his mouth, ignoring whatever looks the other two were giving him, before he daintily wiped the grease off with a napkin – Hunk would have probably preferred he’d used the term ‘juice,’ but a panini with melted cheese and meat was nothing if not ‘greasy.’

When Lance looked up, both Shiro and Keith were staring at him. Heat rose in his cheeks, but he cleared his throat and covered it up by taking a sip of his pink lemonade. It was weird now. Hunk and Pidge had gone and made it _weird_.

“Well,” Lance said once he’d swallowed. “I’ve got a script to memorize.” He held up the booklet. “And I think I’m going to take a nap before Operation: Lion Watch.” He shot Shiro what he hoped was a charming and flirtatious grin.

“You’re heading back to your room?” Shiro asked and, maybe it was because of everything his so-called friends had been feeding him, but he sounded a little disappointed.

“Yeah,” Lance replied, picking up his tray and tossing its contents into the trash. “I can probably read more of this-” he held up the handbook, “-tonight, but…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’d rather focus on Nyekundu,” he said and added the _‘and you, Shiro’_ in his head.

“You’re right to get some rest,” Shiro finally responded after a beat, his smile returning. “It’s good to know that you’re taking care of yourself,” he paused, his gaze shifting over to Keith. “Unlike some interns I know.”

Keith glared back, but continued to eat his hotdog in silence.

How on Earth could Shiro have feelings for Lance? When he was so clearly interested in Keith? Just the way the two were together. And the history they had! Speaking of which…Lance meant to ask about that. Maybe he could bring it up that evening. He was going to be spending several hours with Shiro, he might as well get to know him more.

“Well, if you’re leaving,” Shiro began, standing up and dumping his own tray, “I’d be happy to escort you.” He ran a hand through his hair and then looked at Lance almost shyly though his bangs. “That is, if you don’t mind.”

Don’t mind? Don’t mind?! Was he serious?

“I suppose I wouldn’t mind the company,” Lance managed, batting his eyelashes. He turned and just caught sight of Pidge making kissy faces from behind the counter. He ignored them and turned his attention back on Shiro. “You’re sure you’re not too busy?” he asked, just to make certain.

“I can spare a few minutes to walk you to the dorm.”

Lance almost felt bad for Keith. Now he’d have to walk back to work by himself. Not that he didn’t seem like someone who could handle things on his own. But Lance _was_ taking his coworker away rather suddenly.

However, as soon as the plans were made, Keith stood and picked up his tray. He walked it over to the trashcan and then turned toward them. “What?” he asked and Lance didn’t know how to respond. But, he needn’t have, since Keith immediately continued. “We’re walking you to your dorm, right?”

Oh. So, that was it. Keith had figured he was invited, too.

Lance glanced over at Shiro, who looked lost in thought. No help there. Ah, well.

“Well,” Lance began, slipping his arm in Shiro’s and throwing the other over Keith’s shoulders. “Are we going or not?”

The three walked together toward the exit and Lance did his best to ignore the strange looks Pidge and Hunk were giving him. He should have been trying to get rid of Keith. He knew that. Shiro had practically served him up some one-on-one time on a silver platter. But, the odd thing was, Lance didn’t mind that Keith was tagging along.

Besides, he and Shiro would have plenty of alone time in the evening. So…what was the harm?

The harm, as it turned out, was that Shiro got a call only two minutes into their walk. He apologized profusely, but it was Dr. Holt. Something about a newspaper article or the like. And Lance, ever the selfless angel – okay, maybe that was a bit of a stretch – had let him go, only asking that he help him practice his tour guide spiel later that evening as compensation.

The only odd thing was, when Shiro left, Keith hadn’t gone with him.

So, there they were, Keith and Lance, continuing their journey back to the dormitories. Which wouldn’t have been so bad if Keith wasn’t such a quiet person. He seemed completely content to walk in silence. But Lance couldn’t take it.

“Shiro didn’t need you?” Lance offered and immediately regretted it. That could be taken only two ways. One: Shiro didn’t need your help Keith because he’s fine without you. Or two: Why are you still here when Shiro left and the only reason you came was because of him? “I mean-”

“I’m actually done for the day,” Keith answered, not seeming miffed in the slightest. He was actually kind of laid back. Except for the whole climbing into animal cages thing.

“Oh, so you’re heading back to your room anyway?” Lance asked, suddenly understanding. It wasn’t that Keith wanted to walk with him. And it wasn’t like he was doing Shiro a favor by escorting Lance the rest of the way. He was just going in the same direction. At least, that’s what Lance thought, until Keith continued.

“I’m not staying in the dorms,” he said.

All right. Okay. Fair enough.

“Then why are you still walking with me?” It seemed that being direct was the best way to handle Keith. The other didn’t stop walking, but he didn’t answer either. Lance thought that perhaps he hadn’t heard him. “Keith, why are you still-”

“I want to,” he said quickly, facing away.

Lance paused, his brows raised. But Keith had kept on walking, so he rushed to catch up with him.

That was weird. Keith and Lance hadn’t really spent a lot of time together, save for delivering lunches the day before. But, then again, Keith did seem like a bit of a loner, so maybe…

Maybe Keith considered Lance a friend?

After all, Lance had assisted him in his hour of need. How else would he have carried that order all the way to the trailer? And they’d talked a bit then, too. And Lance had introduced him to Hunk’s amazing culinary creations! Heck, they’d practically had a bonding moment.

Lance moved closer, matching pace with Keith, and placed a hand on his shoulder. The other turned, his gaze dropping to Lance’s hand before looking up at him.

“Thanks, buddy,” Lance said earnestly before giving his shoulder a squeeze and letting go.

They continued walking the rest of the way in a surprisingly comfortable silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah~ They're getting closer.  
> I double-checked (because I separated these chapters months ago) and, yes, there's definitely more lion action in the following chapter! So, please look forward to it.
> 
> Also, because the new season of Voltron is coming out next week, should I release the next chapter earlier than usual? Let me know! I guess we'll see how many want it on Thursday night instead of Saturday.


	5. Lion Watch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A "date" with Shiro and another miracle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!! It's an early upate~ Why? Well, my reasoning is two-fold. Fold the first, the new season of Voltron comes out at 12AM PST Friday morning, so I wanted to get this out with plenty of time before we're all binging that. And the other reason, well...It's Jes's birthday on Friday and she asked for an early release as a gift, haha. (Oh, wait. Three: It's Shiro's birthday today!!)
> 
> I won't leave too many notes this time (I know I tend to type away) but I will say this: The Minor Character Death (off-page) tag does **not** pertain to this chapter. That might be considered a spoiler, but I'd rather let you know ahead of time. I would want to know. ♥
> 
> Beta'd by the fantastic and wonderful Alex, as always. Please enjoy!!

Admittedly, Lance had not gotten much studying done. But he didn’t need to, now that he knew that Shiro was going to help him. Sure, he’d read through the handbook a couple of times, but he was saving the real work for that evening.

So, when he woke up to a gentle shaking of his shoulder, he didn’t feel bad for falling asleep without having the script memorized.

He opened his bleary eyes, blinking until Hunk’s face came into focus. Lance wasn’t really a long nap kind of guy. Cat naps, sure. But sleeping for a few hours in the middle of the day always made him feel off.

“Good evening, sleepy head,” Hunk greeted and then held up a to-go bag. Whatever was inside smelled wonderful and Lance’s mouth watered as the delicious aroma reached his nostrils. He grabbed for the bag, but Hunk held it just out of reach, clicking his tongue. “Not yet,” he said. “This is for your date.”

Lance groaned, using one hand to rub at both his eyes. “Hunk…I told you-”

“Yeah, but that was before he offered to ‘escort you back to your dorm’,” Hunk quoted with a teasing smirk – Pidge was rubbing off on him, that was for sure. “You can’t tell me you still think he’s not into you after that.”

“He was just being nice,” Lance argued. “Besides, the mullet-headed one came, too.”

“Yeah, I wondered about that.” Hunk pulled back, rubbing his chin with his thick fingers. “He’s really attached to Shiro, right?”

“Tell me about it.” Lance rolled his eyes. But then he frowned, an awkward chuckle bubbling up in his throat. “Hey, but do you know what’s weird?” he asked and Hunk quirked a brow. “Shiro got a call, like, right after we left.”

“Yeah?” Hunk prompted.

“But, when he went to go take care of it…” Lance chewed on his bottom lip. “Keith stayed.” Then he added, “With me.”

Now Hunk looked as puzzled as Lance felt.

“I mean, I think I might be his only friend,” Lance continued. “He even said he _wanted_ to walk with me.”

Hunk took a seat beside him on his bed, the mattress squeaking under their combined weight. “Maybe he was just returning the favor from yesterday?” Hunk suggested. “You walked him and then he walked you?”

“Maybe,” Lance said, realizing how much sense Hunk was making. But why didn’t Keith just say that? He seemed like the type who would tell you the truth without beating around the bush. “I guess I shouldn’t assume that I’m his only friend,” he added belatedly.

“Yeah, that’s kind of rude.” Hunk snorted. “Anyway, take your dinner.” He handed him the bag. “And apologize to Shiro in advance for me ruining his diet.” He smiled and clapped Lance on the back. And it was then that Lance remembered Shiro smiling at him in the trailer the day before, asking him to take responsibility for that very same thing.

“You got it, big guy.”

 

Shiro was waiting for him outside of the enclosure. This time Lance had remembered to bring his jacket, but he’d almost left it behind just so he could borrow Shiro’s again. The older man smiled warmly at him as he approached. “You’re looking well-rested.”

Lance tried really hard not to blush at that. “I pride myself on my beauty rest,” he replied coquettishly. “So, do you think tonight will be the night?”

Shiro suddenly looked tired then. “I won’t hold my breath.”

“Oh, c’mon,” Lance argued. “She can’t keep them in there forever.”

They both chuckled and then Shiro led Lance inside. It was familiar now, the long hallway and the doors. But there were a few things that were different this time around. For one, Shiro had set up two chairs in the ‘watching area,’ both with a blanket and pillow atop them. But the one change that stood out most of all was a second private enclosure, which had been empty the other night. Now it housed another lioness and Lance recognized her immediately.

“Buluu!” he gasped and ran over, placing his hands against the glass and watching as the svelte cat paced back and forth. It was so good to see her up close. But then Lance got a chill, like ice water filling his belly. They only separated lions from the rest of the pride for a few reasons. “Is she…?”

“She’s not sick,” Shiro answered, as if sensing his concern. Lance let out the breath he’d been holding as Shiro went on. “She just started getting overly aggressive earlier and we thought it best to give her a little solitary.”

“Aww, worried about your friend?” Lance asked and, as though she’d heard him, Buluu stopped pacing and turned to face him. She moved closer and sat down, her nose butting Lance’s palm through the glass. “It’s okay, Buluu,” he promised. “Nyekundu is in good hands.”

That seemed to calm her, but only a bit. She resumed her pacing, though at a much less frantic speed.

“You’re good with them,” Shiro mused and Lance’s cheeks grew warm.

“Not as good as Keith,” he replied and then grimaced. Thankfully he was still facing away. Why had he brought up Keith? This was his and Shiro’s alone time. “Oh,” he said, remembering the bag in his hand. “Hunk made us dinner.” He passed it to Shiro, who eagerly opened it up.

“This smells…” he began, closing his eyes and inhaling.

“Fattening?” Lance finished for him and Shiro snorted.

“I was going to say ‘delicious,’ but you’re not wrong,” he replied. “Shall we dine now?” He gestured toward the two seats, but Lance walked past them, plopping down in front of Nyekundu instead.

“I can’t say this is the fanciest date I’ve ever been on, but you can’t beat the view.” He pointed toward the lioness, who lazily looked at them over her shoulder before flopping back onto her side. It took Lance two whole seconds to realize what he’d said. But by then it was too late to correct it.

“A picnic under the stars would have been better,” Shiro agreed, joining him beside the glass. “But beggars can’t be choosers.”

Okay, cool. He was just rolling with it. It didn’t have to be awkward. They could just continue talking.

“So, what did Hunk pack for us?” Lance asked.

“Looks like two sandwiches and more of those fries,” Shiro said as he reached into the bag and divvied up their feast. “Oh, no.”

“What?” Lance leaned closer, suddenly concerned. Was Shiro allergic to something? Or was there something in there he didn’t like?

“There are brownies in here,” he said, lifting them out. “They’re still warm.” He sighed, closing his eyes as though asking to be granted strength. “That’s three cheat days this week.”

And Lance, finally understanding, just snickered, snatching one of the gooey brownies from his hands and unwrapping it. When the other raised an eyebrow in question, Lance simply said, “What? I can’t have dessert first?” He took a bite and when Shiro didn’t answer, Lance looked back over, only to see the other’s gaze raking over him. “Shiro?”

“You can afford it,” Shiro replied, almost to himself. “Ah, youth.”

Lance nearly spit brownie crumbs across the room. “Dude, Shiro.” He coughed. “You’re, like, not that much older than me.”

“Then we’ll chalk it up to good genes.” Shiro shrugged, not realizing the havoc he was wreaking on Lance’s heart as he unwrapped his sandwich and began to eat.

After they finished eating, Lance pulled out his tour guide handbook. He didn’t necessarily want to go over it just yet, but he wasn’t ready to ask Shiro any more personal questions. Even if he wondered how long he’d known Keith and if he was seeing anyone. Shiro. Not Keith. Lance didn’t care if Keith was seeing anyone. Unless it was Shiro. Then he cared.

“Okay.” Shiro reached out and plucked the book from Lance’s fingers. “Let’s hear your greeting.”

All right. Straight to it, then.

Lance took a deep breath and began to recite. The script was more like a guide line than something that needed to be quoted perfectly. And Lance let his personality shine through, even pausing to answer the questions of his imaginary tourists. Then, when he was all done, he started again, this time in Spanish.

When he finished, Shiro looked at him with something akin to awe. But that couldn’t be right. “Shiro, you okay?”

“You’re amazing,” he said, setting the book down, his eyes still on Lance. “That was…phenomenal.” And cue the bright red blush on Lance’s face.

“It was just a little bit of translating,” he argued, feeling sheepish.

“No, not that,” Shiro said. “Though, that was impressive, as well.” He leaned closer, placing a hand on Lance’s bobbing knee – probably an attempt at soothing his nerves, but the intimate touch only increased the rapid beating of Lance’s heart. “The way you spoke was just wonderful. And your knowledge about the zoo was perfectly integrated into the spiel.”

Okay, heart. You can calm down any time now.

“Dr. Holt was lucky to snatch you up.” He smiled, bright and genuine, and Lance almost had to look away from its vibrancy. “I only wish _our_ Dr. Holt could have gotten you an override into this program.”

Lance could only take so much. And there were only so many good things that could happen to a person in such a short amount of time. Perfect scenarios like this didn’t just _happen_. He was a pretty optimistic person, but this was verging on ridiculous.

“W-Wow,” Lance began, cursing himself for stuttering. “You sure know how to flatter a guy.”

Shiro drew his brows down, a slight pout appearing on his lips. “I wasn’t flattering you. It’s the truth.” He gave Lance’s knee a squeeze. Then he leaned closer, his face drawing near. Lance could feel the warm puffs of his breath against his lips. “You’re really-”

But they were interrupted by a loud yowl.

Both Shiro and Lance whipped their heads around, gazes falling on Nyekundu. But, to their surprise, the lioness was just lying there, snoozing a bit, her ears twitching slightly as she breathed. They exchanged confused looks, but then they heard another noise, a low whine this time.

“Buluu?” Lance blinked, standing up and moving closer to the other lioness’s den. “You all right, girl?” he asked. She was pacing back and forth, her fur brushing along the glass. Something was up, but Lance wasn’t sure what. Nyekundu seemed fine, after all. “I think she’s…” Lance paused, furrowing his brow. “I think she’s nervous?”

“Well,” Shiro began before coming up beside him. “Her closest pride mate is about to give birth. It’s probably a little nerve-wracking.”

Lance turned toward him, raising his brows. “Closest?” He didn’t remember seeing the two do anything other than fight. Sure, it may have been playful fighting. Bonding, even. But to say they were closest to each other was surprising.

“Meanwhile, Nyeusi, that fat tub, hasn’t seemed the least bit concerned,” Shiro whispered, maybe more to himself, but Lance heard it and snickered.

“Not strutting around like a proud papa, is he?” He laughed and then so did Shiro. The latter, probably due to a lack of proper sleep, but, hey, Lance would take it.

“Yeah, he’s probably not going to win father of the year,” Shiro answered with a chuckle. “But that’s how lions are. Buluu will help Nyekundu with her cubs more than anyone else.”

Lance’s heart warmed at that. The idea of the two often-quarrelling lionesses working together to raise the three little cubs. Then a little shiver of excitement ran up his spine as he realized that he’d be meeting them soon.

“Anyway.” Shiro cleared his throat. “Looks like it was a false alarm.” He cracked his neck and made his way over to their previous location, grabbing the blankets and pillows off of the chairs and taking a seat on the ground. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled something out. “I’ve got a deck of cards, if you’re interested?” he offered.

So, Lance joined Shiro beside Nyekundu’s den. They played Go Fish, and Slap Jack – Lance took both of those – and a game called Euchre, in which Shiro had an advantage because Lance had never played before.

A few hours passed like that, the two more focused on the games than anything else. Who knew that Shiro could be so competitive! Well, maybe it was just some of Lance’s own competitiveness rubbing off on him.

After their final game, Lance’s eyelids began to droop, despite his earlier nap. He barely stifled a yawn, hiding it under the blanket around his shoulders.

“You can doze off for a bit, if you’d like,” Shiro offered, collecting the cards and reshuffling them.

“No.” Lance shook his head, holding back another yawn. “I promised I’d keep watch with you.”

“And you have.” Shiro smiled at him and, sleep-addled state or no, Lance’s heart skipped a beat. “I think you’ve earned a little nap,” he said, voice soft and almost gentle. “And I promise to wake you if anything happens.”

Lance wanted to stay up. He really did. But the idea of taking a few winks sounded really appealing. “Well, maybe I’ll just…” He yawned again. “…rest my eyes…”

“Sure, Lance,” Shiro said, and the sound of his name rolling off of the other’s tongue made Lance’s stomach do a little flip. “Sleep well,” he whispered and Lance ducked down sheepishly, scooching lower and placing his head on the borrowed pillow.

“Just…a few minutes…” he murmured and then drifted off.

 

When Lance awoke, it was to the gentle caress of fingers through his hair. He hummed softly in the back of his throat, enjoying the feeling. Hunk would do that sometimes, when Lance was feeling especially lonely or bummed. But he didn’t usually do so without Lance asking first, or, at the very least, Lance being conscious.

His eyelids fluttered open and he gave a stretch. The fingers immediately stilled and pulled away. Lance rubbed his eyes and gazed blearily at the person looking down at him. “Shiro…?” he croaked, his throat dry and rough from sleep.

“Hey there, Sleeping Beauty,” the older man teased.

Lance snorted and rubbed at one of his eyes again. “How long was I out?”

“Just under forty-five minutes,” Shiro said and, belatedly added, “You move around a lot in your sleep.”

Lance frowned in confusion and then realized something. The pillow he’d been using was currently tucked between his knees and his head was resting on something much firmer. He looked down to confirm it. Yup. His head was most definitely on Shiro’s lap.

He shot up, an apology on the tip of his tongue, but Shiro waved him off.

“Don’t worry, I, uh…” Shiro looked away, his ears turning pink. “I didn’t mind.” He cleared his throat and turned back, all traces of his blush gone, save for a light dusting on his cheeks. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did,” Lance replied, unconsciously reaching a hand up to smooth down his mussed hair.

“Oh, I hope that was okay,” Shiro said, perfect white teeth coming to rake across his bottom lip. “You seemed to be having a nightmare, but you calmed down when I…” He made a head-rubbing gesture and Lance snickered at how cute he looked doing it.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” he said. “My _Mamá_ used to do it all the time when I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “And my roommate still does it on occasion,” he added with a laugh. He expected Shiro to join in, but the other man didn’t. In fact, he almost looked…disappointed? “Hey, what’s-” But Lance was interrupted by a piercing wail.

Both he and Shiro shot up, heads on swivels as they sought out which lioness had made the sound. It was Buluu again, but they didn’t have time to rush to her, because Nyekundu made her own little noise in response before scratching at the straw-covered floor of her den.

Lance moved closer to the glass just as Nyekundu began spinning in circles. It wasn’t like her pacing. It almost looked like-

“It’s time,” Shiro gasped, eyes wide.

“It’s time?” Lance echoed and then his own eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Wait, it’s time?! Right now? Cubs?”

Shiro nodded and reached for his cell. He quickly searched through his contacts before selecting one and bringing the device to his ear. Lance bounced on the balls of his feet, shifting his weight as his gaze flicked from Shiro to the pregnant lioness, who had chosen that moment to lie back on her side, her mouth open as she panted for breath.

“Hey, Matt,” Shiro said and then paused. “Yes, I know what time it is,” he answered. He was silent again and Lance could hear Matt’s voice, tinny over the line. “It’s happening.”

It took Matt less than two minutes to run over from the trailer – apparently, he’d been sleeping in his office again. He burst through the door, a medical bag over his shoulder. “How is she?” he asked, getting straight to the point.

“She was pacing and scratching until a couple minutes ago,” Shiro explained, gesturing toward Nyekundu. She was still on her side, her mouth open and her tongue moving with each quick breath.

“All right.” Matt rolled up his sleeves. “Let’s do this.” He opened the door to the den and stepped inside, motioning for Shiro to follow him.

“What should I do?” Lance blurted, not wanting to get in the way, but also wanting to help in any way he could.

“You’re coming with us,” Shiro said, offering him a quick smile. “We’ll need an extra pair of hands.”

“You can flirt after the cubs are born!” Matt shouted and Lance tried to play it off as the other teasing, but the way Shiro’s entire face turned bright red made that very difficult. “Now, come on. The first one’s on the way!”

Lance followed Shiro inside and took the apron he was handed. The two experts went to the ‘business end,’ as it were, and he remained near her head, standing and unsure what to do.

“Stop hovering like that,” Matt said, catching his attention. “You’re going to make her nervous.”

Nyekundu, despite this being her first litter ever, seemed to be the most calm of anyone in the enclosure, but Lance decided that it would be unwise to mention that, so he just nodded. “Where do you want me?” he asked.

“Kneel down by her head,” Matt ordered. “Just keep her calm.”

Lance bent down beside her and was completely caught off guard when the lioness lifted her chin and rested the side of her face on his lap. He lowered his hands, stopping just an inch or so from her head.

“It’s okay,” Shiro assured him, or maybe he was talking to Nyekundu…or Matt. Or maybe even himself. Still, Lance took it to be for him and, after hesitating for just a moment longer, stroked the lioness’s fur.

“Hey there, pretty girl,” he soothed and then accidentally brushed her ear. She twitched, curling her lip and baring one of her fangs. “Okay, you didn’t like that,” he said, voice shaking. “We’ll stick to the head, then.” He continued to pet her. “You’re doing a great job,” he promised.

A few moments passed and then Matt cried out triumphantly. “Cub number one!” he cheered. “Here’s the first female,” he said, handing her off to Shiro, who had to set down his clipboard to handle her, carefully cleaning her off and weighing her on the scale Matt had brought with him.

“She’s a big girl,” Shiro mused, looking down at the cub in awe. Lance couldn’t take his eyes off of her, until Nyekundu made a noise, then his focus was back on the mama.

“Hey, you’ve got a little girl,” he said, running his fingers over her head. “A big little girl,” he added.

Just then, the door to the den was thrown open, drawing everyone’s attention. And there, out of breath and wearing pajamas, a jacket, and a pair of boots, was Keith. He held up his phone. “Why did you text me? You should have called!” That was directed that Shiro, but the older man didn’t have a chance to respond.

Keith was already moving toward Nyekundu. Lance stopped stroking her fur as he approached, ready to move out of the way and let Keith have his spot back. After all, he was the one who was closest to her. But, to his surprise, Keith didn’t tell him to back off. In fact, he just sat beside Lance, running one of his hands over her muzzle.

Nyekundu lifted her head and pressed her nose into the palm of his gloved hand, giving a little whine.

“How’s she doing?” Keith asked, eyes still on the lioness’s face. It took Lance a moment to realize that he was talking to him.

“Oh.” He blinked. “She’s been doing great. A real trooper,” he said. “One cub down, two to go.”

The second female came next, smaller than the first, but much more active. The inquisitive little cub nearly crawled off of the scale. Keith handled her, as Shiro was still busy with the first, so Lance continued to whisper encouraging words to their mother.

“Just one left, beautiful,” he promised. And then, Shiro was calling him over. Lance couldn’t believe it. Sure, they’d run out of hands, but he never would have thought, even in his wildest dreams, that he’d get to hold a newborn lion cub.

He got up on shaky legs, his knees sore from being bent for so long, and hobbled over. Things were a bit of a mess, but none of that mattered. When he set eyes on tiniest of the three, his heart stopped. He was beautiful.

Matt didn’t seem to think so. Or, rather, he looked more concerned than joyous. Lance barely heard Shiro and Matt muttering back and forth, picking up on a few words, like, ‘runt,’ ‘doesn’t weigh enough,’ and ‘might not make it.’

The tiny thing was almost motionless, save for his rapid breathing. Then, suddenly, all movement stopped. The male cub lay on the scale, deathly still.

Things moved very quickly after that. Matt reached into his bag, pulling out tools and items Lance had never seen before, doing all he could to save the cub. But, it all seemed to be in vain. Matt took out his stethoscope and placed it against the little cub’s chest. Then he removed the earpieces and shook his head.

Nodding in understanding, both Shiro and Keith moved the two female cubs over to their mother’s side to nurse. But Lance didn’t look away from the tiny one.

“Is he…?” he began, his lower lip quivering.

“We knew there was a chance we’d lose the smallest,” Matt said, removing one of his gloves and rubbing at his eyes. “Damn…”

But Lance couldn’t believe it. He wouldn’t. He reached for the box of gloves and put on a pair, ignoring the looks the others were giving him. Gingerly, he scooped up the tiny cub and cradled him to his chest. He stroked his back, humming a song his mother had sung to him for as long as he could remember.

“What’s he doing?” he heard Keith hiss, but Shiro hushed him.

“He can’t do any harm,” he whispered back.

Lance knew what he meant. He couldn’t kill something that was already dead. But he refused to believe it. Nyekundu had worked so hard, carried this little guy for months. He was not going to let her down. He hummed louder, his gentle strokes growing rougher. He remembered reading in an article that sometimes mothers had to groom their newborns vigorously before they responded. He could only hope that he wasn’t too late.

“Lance-” Shiro began, but was interrupted by a little squeak.

They all looked down at the tiny bundle in Lance’s arms, watching as the cub opened his mouth and squeaked again, blindingly searching for his mother. Lance blinked back tears as Matt reached out for him, giving Lance a look that was a mixture of disbelief and gratitude.

“Good job, little man,” Lance said and, when Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder, he did cry. He burst into tears, sobbing like a baby. He let Shiro pull him to his chest as he cried openly into the front of his shirt. “He’s okay…” he wheezed.

“Yeah,” Shiro replied. Lance heard the snapping of a rubber glove being removed and then he felt fingers in his hair, smoothing it down. “Thanks to you.”

Lance pulled back, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his smock. “Don’t make it sound like I did anything special.” He looked back over at Matt, who was checking the little cub’s vitals and getting him cleaned up.

“He’ll need to be bottle-fed,” Matt explained. “At least until he’s big enough,” he added.

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” Shiro said. “Between the three of us, we’ll manage.”

Lance blinked, surprised that he’d been included.

“I’ve got some formula back in the clinic,” Matt said. “I’ll go grab it and then,” he began, turning toward Lance. “Maybe you’d like to do the honors?”

“…me?” Lance gaped.

“Who else?” Matt smirked. “Anyway, Shiro, come help me carry all this stuff back.” The older man nodded, giving Lance’s shoulder one last reassuring squeeze, before he followed after Matt. “We’ll be right back,” Matt threw over his shoulder, still cradling the tiny cub as Shiro did all the heavy lifting.

Lance sank to his knees, his gaze falling on Nyekundu and the two female cubs, who were happily suckling.

Keith was sitting by her head, affectionately stroking her fur.

Lance knew she and Keith had a bond. And he felt bad that the other had missed the birth of her first cub. He opened his mouth to apologize for taking his place, but Keith beat him to it.

“Thank you, Lance,” he said, not looking up. “For…for everything.”

Lance snapped his mouth shut and gave a little nod. “You’re welcome.”

Then they sat there quietly, waiting for Shiro and Matt to return. And, for the second time in twenty-four hours, Lance didn’t mind the silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it is so obvious how much I love Lance, huh? Like...maybe too obvious??  
> ...  
> Nah.
> 
> Gosh, this chapter was emotional. But the little cub is okay! That's why I put that note up at the top. I didn't want anyone getting too upset and rage-quitting before they finished the chapter, haha.  
> Enjoy Season 5 and see you all next week~


	6. What's In A Name?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro has a weakness. Keith pays Lance a visit. And the cubs get names!  
> Also, Hunk gets to meet the little lions! (And someone else, too)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have no idea how hard it was not to update this on Wednesday. Updating early (for S5) almost made me mess up my whole schedule, but I remained strong! Haha.
> 
> As always, this chapter was beta'd by the fantastic Alex and, oh, what day is today...? HIS BIRTHDAY!!  
> Please everyone wish Alex a very happy birthday~ He's nearly as ancient as me now, lol.  
> Oh, and enjoy~

Lance nodded off sometime between Matt showing him how to properly bottle-feed a newborn lion cub and when morning finally broke. He was flat on his back, his borrowed pillow wrapped tightly between his arms and a blanket draped over him. Groggily, he rolled onto his side and buried his face in whatever was cushioning his head. It smelled nice…familiar. He drew back and realized with a slight flush that it was Shiro’s jacket, folded neatly and placed with care beneath his head.

He sat up, blinking the sleep from his eyes, and tried to get his bearings. He was in the lions’ enclosure. And suddenly, like a chain reaction, memories from the night before – or early morning –flooded his mind. He shot up, turning toward the den. He was alone, save for Keith, who was inside of the den, drowsily stroking Nyekundu’s head. Panic momentarily seized him when he didn’t see the cubs, but Keith looked calm, so Lance took a deep breath and pushed the door open, entering the pen.

“Good morning,” he croaked, wishing he’d found some water before trying to speak. His fresh from sleep voice wasn’t his favorite.

“’Morning,” Keith replied, gaze flicking up toward him before he looked back down at the lioness.

Lance swallowed, wincing at his dry throat. “Where are the cubs?” ‘ _And Shiro_ ,’ he wanted to add, but didn’t.

“Shiro and Matt took them to the clinic to get updated vitals and show them off to Matt’s vet interns,” Keith said. “They should be back soon.”

“Oh.” Lance nodded and then cleared his throat. Their silence last night had been nice, relaxing even. But now it was back to being awkward, since Lance didn’t know what he was supposed to do until Shiro and Matt returned. “So…” he began and then shook his head. “May I join you?” He gestured to the spot on the ground beside Keith, between Nyekundu and the glass.

Keith met his gaze and then tilted his chin just the slightest bit, giving Lance the go ahead. “All yours.”

Lance smiled and carefully stepped over one of the lioness’s paws before taking a seat. He watched her face as Keith pet her. She looked at ease, even with her cubs out of sight. Then again, she probably knew they were in good hands.

The silence drew on and Lance finally had to break it. “I wish I’d thought this through,” he said and noticed Keith’s attention turn on him in his periphery.

“What?”

“I mean, about staying here all night,” Lance clarified. “I should have brought my face cream. Or, at the very least, my toothbrush.”

Keith was staring at him now. Lance could practically feel those dark eyes boring into him. “Face cream?”

Lance relaxed his shoulders and turned toward Keith fully. “Yeah.” He raised an eyebrow and waved a hand around, gesturing toward his face. “Do you think _this_ just _happens_?” He didn’t wait for Keith to answer. “Ugh, and now my skin is going to suffer because of my negligence…” he lamented.

Keith continued to stare, wide-eyed, his gaze raking over Lance’s face.

“What?” Lance frowned, wondering if his skin had dried out overnight. Was it already starting to peel? Oh, man. That was all he needed. Maybe he could sneak off to the dorm before Shiro got back so the other man wouldn’t see him in such a state.

But before Lance could plan his escape, Keith reached forward, the pads of his fingers just grazing the side of Lance’s cheek. He blinked once. Twice. And then Keith’s hand was gone. Lance lifted his own hand and pressed his fingers to the same spot.

“You don’t have to worry,” Keith said conversationally, as if he hadn’t just caressed Lance’s face. “Your skin is still soft.”

Lance opened his mouth, but no words came out. He wasn’t even sure what he was going to say, anyway. But still. What?

“Looks like they’re both up now,” Matt’s voice sliced through the thick, uncomfortable tension like a knife through butter. And, oddly enough, that made Lance’s stomach growl. He just remembered he hadn’t eaten since dinner the night before. “Now I can introduce you to my interns,” he said, stepping into the den and carrying one of the cubs.

He was followed by two others, each clad in a white lab coat and holding a cub. Lance’s gaze zeroed in on the smallest cub, cradled in the arms of a young woman with kind eyes and a rather muscular build.

“Allow me to introduce Rax and Shay,” he said, and each of the interns gave a slight bow of their heads in greeting. “They regretfully slept through the whole thing last night, so they were eager to wake up early and help out this morning,” he snorted. The man, Rax, averted his gaze and flushed, while Shay just gave a sheepish smile.

Lance stood up, extending his hand to the newcomers. “I’m Lance,” he said. Rax kept both hands on his cub – with good reason. He held the smaller female, who would probably leap from his arms if he gave her half the chance – but Shay accepted Lance’s handshake, gripping his hand firmly in hers.

“It’s good to meet you, Lance,” she said. “Please do not mind my brother. He can be quite shy.”

“I’m not shy!” Rax snapped and then averted his gaze again. It was amazing how small he made himself look, despite his larger build. But Lance dared not say anything about it.

“We have a shy one, too,” Lance said instead, jerking a thumb over his shoulder toward Keith. “This guy gets along better with animals than he does people.”

Matt laughed at that and so did Lance, until he turned around and caught Keith’s glare. He quickly sobered.

“I’m Keith,” he said and stopped petting Nyekundu long enough to give a short wave.

“A man of few words, that one,” Lance said, causing Matt to chuckle again. He had a feeling that the two of them would get along really well. But now that he’d been introduced to Matt’s interns, Lance could finally focus on Shiro. Or, rather, the lack-there-of. “Where’s-”

“Shiro?” Matt finished for him. “I told him to get some rest, but he insisted on getting you two breakfast first.” He rolled his eyes, but there was a fond smile on his lips. “So, of course, I told him to bring back enough for everyone.”

Carefully, Matt set the largest cub down beside her mother to nurse and Rax followed suit. Shay held onto the tiny male a bit longer, stroking his fur before she placed him down, as well. The little guy would still need to be bottle-fed, but it would do him some good to be close to the warmth of his mother.

Unrelated to the cubs feeding, Lance’s stomach growled. Matt had mentioned breakfast and now Lance wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth into one of Hunk’s famous pancake sandwiches. Hey, don’t knock it until you try it. They were magical.

As if angels had heard his prayers, Shiro and Hunk appeared at the end of the hall, each carrying two large paper bags and a drink holder – one with coffee and the other with orange juice. Lance could have cried.

“Good morning!” Hunk greeted as Lance dashed over. “Shiro said you had a busy night, so I packed extra.” He held up the bags and gave them a gentle shake.

“Bless you, Hunk. You’re a godsend.” Lance wrapped him in a tight hug before snatching the bags from his hands and searching for his breakfast.

“Also,” Hunk continued, following him and setting the drinks down on a chair. “I heard there were baby lions and I couldn’t resist coming down to see them.” He drew closer to the glass and peered over at Nyekundu. “Aww, they’re so tiny!”

“Yes, but they’ll grow big and strong soon enough,” Shay said from beside him.

“Yeah, I bet they…” Hunk turned toward her and froze. “…will.”

Lance knew that look, rare as it was. It was the same look Hunk had when the new transfer student had stepped into their classroom in third grade. And when they’d met up with a few of the girls from the camp across the lake and one had offered Hunk her flashlight because it was dark. And here it was again.

“Hunk,” Lance began. “This is Shay. She’s one of the interns in the veterinary program,” he introduced. “Shay, this is my best buddy in the whole entire universe, Hunk.” He slapped a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll never meet a better guy. Oh-” Lance reached down and picked up one of the wrapped breakfast sandwiches, handing it over to Shay. “-and he’s one heck of a cook.”

Shay took the offered sandwich and smiled at Hunk. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The, uh…pleasure’s all mine.” Hunk gulped.

Lance would have loved to continue watching that scene unfold before him, but his stomach had other plans. It gave another insistent growl, so he turned away and reached for the bag. But, before he could get a hand inside, Shiro was there, holding out one of Hunk’s delicious concoctions: scrambled eggs, a slice of cheese, and three strips of bacon sandwiched between two pancakes. His mouth began to water.

“Hungry?” Shiro asked and Lance nodded, eagerly taking what was offered.

“Thank you.” He ducked his head and bit his lip. He knew for a fact that Shiro had been up just as long – if not longer – than he had and yet…Wow. Sure, Shiro’s hair was a little ruffled and there were the beginnings of dark circles under his eyes, but he just looked so…

“Are there any without cheese?” Keith asked from his spot beneath the lioness. Lance peeked around Shiro’s shoulder to pull a face at the other intern for ruining his and Shiro’s moment, but it didn’t seem to faze him.

“I got ya, buddy,” Hunk said, giving Shay another cute little wave before reaching into a bag and pulling out a sandwich wrapped in a different color paper than the rest. “It’s also got turkey sausage,” he explained. “I know, I know,” he said before Lance could question the lack of bacon – a perfect food – but Hunk waved him off. “It’s good though. Trust me.”

Clearly getting that Hunk was not about to step into a lion’s den – sure, it was normal for all of them now, but Hunk was new to the whole being next to a fully grown lioness and her three cubs thing – so, Keith withdrew his legs from beneath Nyekundu and stood up. He gave a stretch and Lance swore he heard every bone and joint pop.

“Thank you, Hunk,” Keith said when he took the sandwich and, instead of returning to his place beside Nyekundu, he took a seat on the ground next to them, leaning his back up against the glass. Then he looked up at both Lance and Shiro, one of his thick eyebrows quirked. “Are you going to eat standing up?”

Lance’s face grew warm. He wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t like Keith had delivered a particularly good burn or anything, but it just felt strange. He couldn’t explain it. He was probably just hungry.

Shiro, who had finished off one cup of coffee during the exchange and had already started a second, grabbed his own breakfast from the bag and gestured toward the floor. “Shall we?” he asked, his warm, dark gray eyes causing Lance’s cheeks to heat for a completely different reason, he was sure.

It wasn’t fair that Shiro was so handsome, even after a sleepless night. And, when they each took a seat, Lance beside Keith and Shiro on Lance’s other side, the other two leaning over Lance occasionally to discuss the schedule now that the cubs were born, he really, _really_ wished he’d brought his toothbrush.

 

Lance had his tour group the next day. He knew that. And he was definitely comfortable with his script. The only problem was that he didn’t want to leave the cubs to return to his and Hunk’s rather lion-less dorm. Especially considering he’d been given the day off after the night they’d had. There was nothing to distract him.

“I promise you can swing by for a feeding or two later,” Shiro swore. “But you need to get some rest, Lance.”

“Oh, well if that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black,” Matt teased from where he was checking the cubs’ vitals one more time after they’d all finished breakfast. Shiro shot him a disapproving little scowl – which surprisingly looked good on him – and then turned back toward Lance, his features softening.

“We all need some sleep after last night.”

Lance knew he was right. Especially since he was going to be responsible for a huge group of tourists in less than twenty-four hours. But he just couldn’t tear himself away. He looked past Shiro and through the glass at the cubs, focusing on the tiny male.

“Lance-”

“How come Keith gets to stay?” he asked when he noticed that the other was still inside, having gone back to his place after Hunk, Shay, and Rax returned to work.

“Keith,” Shiro began, raising his voice so the other could hear, “is going to go to bed, too.” He turned, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “Isn’t that right, Keith?”

The silence that followed was the longest, most uncomfortable yet, but Lance dared not break it. Matt, on the other hand, had no problem snorting and rolling his eyes.

“Yeah. Good luck with that,” he said, stepping out of the pen and placing a hand on Shiro’s shoulder. “Now,” he changed the subject. “I’m going to turn in, but Dad’ll be here with his interns in about ten minutes, so…” He looked up at Shiro, attempting to mimic his serious, almost parental gaze, “You’d better be on your way out and to bed the moment they step through the door, _capice_?”

Shiro frowned slightly and, for a moment, Lance thought he and Keith were making the same face. Actually, they were. Both a little annoyed, a little pouty. Like children who didn’t get their way. They were cute.

Lance didn’t realize he’d chuckled aloud until all eyes were on him.

“See, even Lance is on my side,” Matt proclaimed, stepping closer and wrapping an arm around Lance’s shoulders. Clearly, he must have said something else, while Lance had been staring at Shiro’s and Keith’s cute expressions, but he’d missed it. “Right, Lance?”

“Oh…uh…” Lance swallowed. “Right.”

“And there you have it!” Matt released him and picked up his paperwork. “If all three of you aren’t in bed by noon, I will personally send Katie after you and, trust me,” he paused in the doorway, the sunlight filtering in from the crack reflecting off of his glasses, “You won’t like that.”

Then, after delivering what Lance could only assume was Matt’s final blow, the three were left alone.

“He’s right, you know,” Shiro said, though Lance wasn’t exactly sure at whom it was directed. “When Dr. Holt comes in, I’ll-”

“ _We’ll_ ,” Keith corrected him. “If you think I’m leaving before you-”

“ _Keith_.” Shiro put his hands on his hips, his voice going deep. “You and Lance are going to bed,” he said with an air of finality that seemed inarguable. Yet, Keith appeared to be up for the challenge.

“We’ll go when you go,” he replied resolutely before he returned to stroking Nyekundu’s head, his dark eyes – which had been so hard half a second earlier – going soft as he watched the cubs curl up beside her.

“Keith,” Shiro said again, only this time there was a slight whine at the end. Perhaps Shiro was more tired than he appeared. Then again, Lance would be tired, too, if he’d been given the role of Keith’s keeper. With a sigh, Shiro turned toward him. “Lance-”

“Oh, no,” Lance began, folding his arms like Shiro had done earlier. “If Keith stays, I stay.”

A slight pause. The tiniest twitch of the skin just below Shiro’s left eye. And then he conceded.

“One day I’ll figure out why I can’t say ‘no’ to either of you.” Shiro leaned against the glass, sliding down until he was seated. All the while, a slow smile spread across Lance’s face. They’d won.

“Let’s hope it’s later rather than sooner,” Keith said with a little laugh, making eye contact with Lance. He was smiling and Lance couldn’t help but to return the gesture. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation talking, but a smiling Keith was even cuter than a pouting one.

 

Lance slept most of the day away. The moment he’d walked into his dorm, he’d shucked off his clothes, forewent a shower, and crawled under his blankets in only his boxers. He did, however, get up once to wash his face – because he wasn’t an _animal_ – and apply his moisture bomb mask before he returned to the soft, warm embrace of his bed.

He awoke sometime before dusk to insistent shaking. He groaned and flipped onto his other side. Whatever it was that Hunk had to tell him could wait. But the hands returned to his other shoulder, almost jarring him with their strength.

“Dude…” Lance complained, turning onto his back and cracking his eyes open. “Hunk, what the-” but it wasn’t the face of his childhood friend that hovered mere inches from his own. It was Keith’s. “Dude!” he said again, louder this time. He shot up, moving so his back was pressed up against the wall. “What the heck, man?” he asked.

Keith’s gaze raked over him and it was then that Lance remembered his current state of undress. He reached for his blanket and pulled it up to cover his naked chest, waiting for Keith to explain himself.

“Shiro,” he began, finally meeting Lance’s eyes. “Shiro sent me to get you.” Then he paused, cocking his head to the side. “What’s on your face?”

Lance groaned, finally coming to terms with the fact that the other intern was in his room. He’d still been clinging onto the hope that all of this was just a strange dream. Though, why he would be dreaming about Keith raised a lot of other questions he didn’t care to answer at the moment.

“What did he want?” Lance asked.

Keith furrowed his brow. “Who-”

“Shiro!” Lance threw his arms out in exasperation. Okay, so maybe he was still a little cranky from his lack of sleep.

“Oh.” Keith’s cheeks tinted and all of Lance’s anger and frustration seemed to evaporate, replaced by one thought. ‘ _Cute._ ’ But he shook his head as Keith continued. “It’s about the cubs.”

Now Lance was on high alert. Was it the tiniest one? Was he okay? Did something happen?

Keith seemed to pick up on his distress. “Ah, no, it’s-” Keith cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “We’re naming them and he thought…” He looked up at Lance through his bangs. “He thought you might like to be there.”

Lance released the breath he’d been holding. Okay. The little guy was fine. Good.

“Well, I suppose I can spare some time,” he joked, slipping out from under his sheet. He caught the way Keith averted his eyes and inwardly chuckled. Did the other actually think he slept naked or something? But, never mind that. Lance had to shower and get dressed. He didn’t want to keep Shiro waiting. “I’ve got to hop in the shower,” he explained. “Think you can manage not to break anything while I’m in there?” he teased.

Keith’s head snapped up. “What’s that supposed to-”

But Lance just threw his head back and laughed at the other’s startled expression. He hated to admit it, but he enjoyed getting a rise out of Keith. It was fun. And, even though he was still a little salty about Keith getting his spot, he couldn’t really be mad at him. Not after Keith had proven how good he was with the lions. Besides, Lance was practically Shiro’s other intern now. So, no hard feelings.

Of course, that wasn’t going to stop him from teasing a blushing Keith.

Twenty minutes later – it did say: lather, rinse, _repeat_ – Lance was ready. Keith was still sitting on his bed, his elbows resting on his knees and his face buried in his hands. If Lance didn’t know any better, he’d assume the other had fallen asleep.

He cleared his throat and Keith looked up. “Ready?” he asked and Lance didn’t miss the way Keith gave him a once over. Maybe they’d grown close enough for Lance to give him fashion advice. Cropped leather jackets and fingerless gloves were _so_ out of style.

But instead, Lance just answered him. “I was born ready.”

Together they walked out of the dorm and down the stairs, though, as they reached the exit, a thought suddenly occurred to Lance. “Hey,” he began, getting Keith’s attention. “How did you get into my room?”

Keith just gave a slow smirk before stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Lance gaped. Keith was supposed to be this antisocial, lion whisperer who was better with animals than humans and yet… Well, it wasn’t to say that Lance _thought_ Keith was flirting with him, but, if he was, well… He was pretty darn good at it.

But there were more important things to focus on, like naming lion cubs.

So, Lance pushed thoughts of a flirtatious Keith to the back of his mind and continued on, upping the pace just a bit. His legs were longer than Keith’s and he got a little rush watching the other struggle to keep up.

Yes, competing was good. That kept his mind off of the other urges he was starting to get when he was around Keith.

Maybe he hadn’t slept enough.

 

When Lance and Keith arrived, Shiro and Dr. Holt greeted them with bright smiles. Shiro looked much better – not that he’d looked bad before – now that he’d gotten some rest.

“Lance,” Shiro said when they drew closer. “I’m glad you could make it.”

Something warm bubbled up in his chest and Lance ducked his head to hide his blush. “I wouldn’t dream of missing this,” he managed.

“Good, good,” Dr. Holt said, clapping his hands together. “Though, I’m afraid we’ve already read the names for the females,” he added, scratching the side of his face. “My interns commute, so I let the lion out of the bag, so to speak,” he admitted.

Lance’s face fell at that and, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Keith’s do the same.

“But we haven’t made a formal announcement,” Shiro amended. That made Lance feel a little bit better. Still, he and Keith were actually there for their birth. It was only right that they were the first to know the cubs’ names.

“Well, you won’t miss the most exciting part,” Dr. Holt promised. “We already had the names for the females planned from before they were born,” he explained. “Would you like to hear them?”

Disappointed or no, both Lance and Keith perked up at that. Lance definitely wanted to know.

Dr. Holt continued after Lance enthusiastically nodded – eliciting a little chuckle from Shiro. “As you know, all of our lions have traditional African names, taken from the Swahili language,” he began, pulling out a piece of a paper with a flourish. “Their mother is Nyekundu, which, as I’m sure you’ve read on her nameplate, means ‘red,’ he went on. “And their father is, Nyeusi, meaning ‘black’-”

“Are you going to get to the cubs’ names?” Keith asked, crossing his arms over his chest and giving a grumpy little pout.

“Keith, don’t interrupt,” Shiro scolded him, but he did offer a sympathetic look. Dr. Holt wasn’t exactly known for being concise.

“Ah, yes, of course.” Dr. Holt cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses, glancing down at the paper in his hand. “So, our two lovely young ladies will be named Njano and Kijani,” he announced, his smile bright. “The larger of the two is Njano, which means ‘yellow,’ since her fur is a soft golden color, rather than ruddy like her mother’s.” He glanced over his shoulder at the cubs and Lance and Keith followed suit. Njano’s fur was paler and quite glossy. “And the smaller female is Kijani, meaning ‘green’ because of how inquisitive and vigorous she is.”

Lance really wanted to offer that perhaps they were given those names to complete the color wheel, but he kept his mouth shut. He didn’t want to be rude.

“So, Red, Black, Blue, Green, and Yellow,” Lance offered instead, “And what about the little guy?” he asked, gesturing toward the tiny male. He was struggling for a spot beside his sisters on his mother’s side. He just wasn’t big enough to reach yet.

“Well, that’s the exciting part I mentioned,” Dr. Holt said, folding up the paper and putting it into his pocket. “We, that is, Takashi and I, would like for you and Keith to come up with his name.”

Time seemed to stand still. Inside, Lance was screaming. This just wasn’t how life worked. He was certain he’d thought before how only so many good things could happen to one person. Was he still asleep? Would he wake up to Hunk bringing him dinner any moment now?

“We didn’t have a name picked out for him and since the two of you have been such a big help…” Shiro offered, blushing a little when Lance met his gaze.

“That’s…amazing!” Lance gasped. “I’m honored. Wow. Just…gimme a second.” He placed a hand over his heart and then turned toward Keith. Was he just as excited as he was? But when he caught sight of the other intern, Keith appeared…upset? “Hey.” Lance placed a hand on his shoulder, catching his attention. “What’s wrong?”

Keith took a deep breath in through his nose and then looked away. “I’m no good with names…”

Lance bit back the urge to giggle. Pouty Keith really was a sight to behold. He was such a big baby.

“Well then, I guess it’s up to me,” Lance proclaimed. He rubbed his chin as he considered the possibilities.

“Ah, hold that thought,” Dr. Holt said, glancing at his watch as its alarm went off. “It’s time for the little one’s feeding.” He stepped into the pen and carefully picked up the smallest cub, cradling him to his chest before walking back out. “Takashi, would you hand me one of his bottles?”

“Yes, Sir.” Shiro nodded and reached into a bag, producing a small bottle of formula.

“I’ll need a towel, as well,” Dr. Holt added before turning toward Lance and Keith. “He’s a bit of a fussy eater,” he explained. “Makes quite the mess.”

Lance frowned at that. He’d fed the little guy earlier that morning with no problems. Maybe it was because the cub had still been so new and a little weak. If ‘fussy’ meant that he was gaining strength, then Lance was happy the cub was acting up.

Of course, after six attempts at getting the cub to suckle, it started to seem like ‘fussy’ wasn’t doing him justice.

“I don’t understand,” Dr. Holt lamented. “He’ll get sick if he doesn’t eat.”

“I don’t believe lion cubs think that far ahead,” Shiro offered with a little shrug. “He just knows it’s not his mother’s milk.”

“Well, he won’t be able to nurse with the others if he doesn’t grow a bit more.” Dr. Holt handed the bottle back to Shiro and took off his glasses before rubbing at his eyes. “You’re a bit difficult, aren’t you?” he spoke to the cub, who only blinked up at him.

Lance didn’t want to see him go hungry. There had to be something they could do to get him to eat. But he was pulled from his thoughts when he heard someone say his name.

“Hmm?” He glanced over at Shiro, who was looking at him expectantly. “I’m sorry?”

Shiro smiled. “I asked if you wanted to give it a try,” he repeated. “Since you did such a great job feeding him this morning.” Shiro’s praise slowly dripped down Lance’s body like warm honey, causing his cheeks to heat up.

“Oh, well, I…uh…” He stammered, embarrassing himself further.

“Just do it,” Keith said from beside him, still in his pouty pose, but his mouth was quirked up at the corner and his expression was softer than before. “Black Junior likes you.”

Well, if even Keith thought it was a good idea, Lance had no choice but to agree. He carefully took the cub from Dr. Holt and the bottle from Shiro. The cub was hesitant at first, turning his little nose up at the bottle, but then Lance began rubbing his back in little circles. Not as hard as he’d done earlier than morning, but in a gentle, soothing way.

“It’s okay, little man,” he whispered, moving the nipple of the bottle closer to his tiny mouth. “You’ve got to drink up, so you can get big and strong like mama.” Less than a second passed before the tiny cub was opening his mouth, stretching his neck out to get closer to the bottle. “There you go,” Lance encouraged, smiling as the cub began to drink.

Lance started to sway from side to side, humming softly the lullaby his mother always sang to him growing up. He didn’t even realize he’d started doing it until he felt a hand on his shoulder, reminding him that they weren’t alone.

“Looks like we’ve got two lion whispers,” Shiro noted with a fond little grin, giving Lance’s shoulder a squeeze.

“Told you he likes you,” Keith added.

But Lance’s eyes were still on the cub, who was eagerly drinking from the bottle in his hand. “Hmm,” he began, finally glancing over at Keith. “I guess you were right.” Then he paused. “And…Black Junior, huh?”

“Ah, yeah…” Keith averted his gaze, his cheeks tinting. “That’s just what I’ve been calling him, since, ya know…his dad…”

“And you said you’re no good with names.” Lance shook his head. “That’s perfect.”

Keith looked up at him. The flush had spread down his neck and to his ears. “But it doesn’t fit with the others.”

“So?” Lance shrugged. “That can just be our nickname for him,” he decided. “Isn’t that right, Black Junior?” he cooed. The cub continued to drink and Lance took that as a good sign. “He likes it!”

“I think he does,” Shiro agreed, stepping closer and moving his hand so his arm was wrapped around Lance’s shoulders. “Still, we should probably pick an official zoo name for him.”

“Keith did make a good point, though,” Dr. Holt said. “He’s the only other male. It might be nice to name him after his father.”

“What if _we_ aren’t the ones to name him?” Lance suggested, earning a few confused looks. “I mean, what if we come up with a few options and put it to a vote?”

“A vote?” Keith quirked a brow. “I’m listening.”

“We could put pictures of Black Junior up on the zoo’s website and have the patrons choose his name,” Lance explained. “Like how we picked our new mascot back in high school.” He snorted, remembering his and Hunk’s suggestion of, _‘The Garrison Gild Cats.’_ Alliterations.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Shiro mused, releasing Lance to cross his arms over his chest. “It would be great publicity.”

Dr. Holt stood there for a moment, looking rather contemplative, and Lance thought that maybe he’d overstepped his bounds. But then the older man cracked a wide smile. “I think we’ve solved our name problem.” Then his face fell. “Oh, but I’ll have to get Katie to set that up,” he sighed. “The last time I updated the zoo’s website, Iverson revoked by administrative access.”

Lance was itching to ask what Dr. Holt had done, but he minded his own business, focusing instead on Black Junior, who had almost finished the entire bottle of formula.

“All right then,” Dr. Holt clapped his hands together. “We’ll get that set up and I’ll call another press conference to officially announce the birth of the cubs.” He turned toward Shiro. “Takashi, I’m going to head home for a few hours, but I’ll come back around midnight to relieve you and Keith from lion watch.”

“Aww, you two get lion watch tonight?” Lance pouted, sticking his lower lip out as far as he could.

“Don’t even think about it,” Keith said. “Shiro told me you have that tour thing tomorrow.”

“Keith’s right,” Shiro added. “You need to get as much rest as you can.”

“But I slept all day…” Lance whined.

“I’m afraid I have to agree with Takashi, Lance,” Dr. Holt chimed in. “Colleen will not be pleased if I keep her ‘savior’ from getting a full night’s rest.” Lance blushed at that. Did she really call him that? “Believe me,” Dr. Holt continued, “If you think Katie can be testy when you cross her, you should see where she gets it from.”

Shiro chuckled, but Lance didn’t get it. He really needed to meet this infamous Katie Holt. Even if she did sound a little terrifying.

“So, that’s all settled, then,” Dr. Holt said as he reached for his jacket. “Takashi, Keith. I’ll see you two later.” He turned toward Lance. “And I’m sure I’ll be seeing you, Lance. Good luck tomorrow.”

And then, for the first time since he’d practiced his script the night before, Lance felt a little nervous. Sure, he’d done some amazing things over the last twenty-four hours, but in less than that amount of time, he’d be leading a huge group around the zoo. Maybe it would be better if he went home to go over his guidebook one last time.

“Speaking of,” Shiro interrupted his train of thought. “Iverson stopped by earlier. Something about wanting to quiz you..?” he offered with a slight tilt of his head.

Oh. Great. Thanks, Shiro. _That_  was certainly helping Lance calm down. Not!

“Hey.” Keith’s hand on his shoulder pulled Lance out of his panic attack. “Shiro told me how you have the whole script memorized in English and Spanish,” he said. “You’ll be fine.”

Lance swallowed and then plastered on his biggest, proudest grin – only slightly forced due to his nerves – and said, “Uh-oh, now even _Keith_ is comforting me.”

Keith snatched his hand away and scowled.

“Oh, don’t pout,” Lance teased. But Keith was already marching into the lion’s den. “Keith! C’mon, I was joking!” he called after him.

Keith simply shot him a glare and then plopped down beside Nyekundu.

“Oops?” Lance had the decency to look sheepish. “I guess I made him mad.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll get over it.” Shiro snickered. “Anyway, hand over Black Junior and go straight to the restaurant.”

“Restaurant?” Lance blinked as he passed the tiny cub to Shiro. And before he could continue his question, his stomach gurgled loudly. He really needed to stop skipping meals for sleep.

Shiro chuckled. “Well, I was going to say you should go because Iverson was headed there in search of you,” he began with a fond smile. “But you should probably get some dinner while you’re there.”

“Yeah, one of Hunk’s personal pan pizzas sounds really good right about now,” Lance admitted. Then he chewed on his bottom lip. “I guess I’ll…uh…see you tomorrow?” he asked.

“Of course,” Shiro replied. “Keith and I are done around closing time,” he added. “Maybe we’ll take you out for a victory dinner after your first day, Mr. Tour Guide.” His tone was teasing, but his smile was genuine, and it made Lance’s stomach twist into delightful little knots.

“Both you and Keith are treating?” he asked, clasping his hands behind his back and batting his eyelashes. “Then maybe we can go off property? I heard there’s a really good Brazilian Steakhouse-” But he stopped when Shiro pulled a face. “Okay, okay. How about we eat here and then we can swing by DQ for some super thick milkshakes,” he paused. “And maybe a slushy for Keith.”

“If you really want the steakhouse…” Shiro began, but Lance shook his head.

“I was just teasing,” he promised. “Besides,” he added as he spun on his heel, heading toward the door. He stopped just as he reached it, turning to glance over his shoulder. “People tell me I’m a cheap date,” he added with a wink and then walked out of the lion enclosure, proud of himself for pulling that off. Even if his heart was thundering in his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hard to say whether Lance is dense or in denial about some things. Hmm...
> 
> FYI, the next chapter is a bit of an emotional roller coaster. So, please look forward to it!


	7. Emotional Whiplash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Up and downs: A realization and a discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank goodness for Hunk and Pidge...
> 
> Beta'd, as always, by the magnificent Alex! ♥  
> Please enjoy~

Iverson, as it turned out, was still at the restaurant. He’d grilled Lance until Colleen Holt finally told him she believed Lance was ready. Which was good, because Lance was starving by that point.

Thankfully, Hunk had witnessed the whole scene and appeared almost instantly with a pepperoni pizza, large fries, and a drink.

“Hunk, you wingless angel,” Lance praised as he sat down and picked up a slice, drooling at the sight of the melted cheese still connecting it to the rest of the pizza. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

“A few times, yeah,” Hunk replied, putting his hands on his hips. “But I never grow tired of hearing it.”

“So, how was your birthing date?” Pidge asked, appearing in the seat beside him and nearly causing Lance to drop his slice.

“Good gosh!” He shouted. “You seriously need to stop doing that.” He frowned at them as his pulse slowly crept back to its normal speed. “And it wasn’t a ‘birthing date’,” he corrected. “It wasn’t a date at all.”

“Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the best choice of words,” Pidge admitted. “But you witnessed the birth of three adorable lion cubs _and_ you were on a date, so-”

“It was not a date,” Lance clarified once more before taking a huge bite of the pizza. Oh, it was heavenly. If his mouth wasn’t completely full, he would have kissed Hunk. His best friend had even let it cool just a bit, so Lance avoided first degree burns on the roof of his mouth. Shay was a lucky girl. Speaking of which… “You should both swing by to see the cubs. I know Hunk will want to.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“Lance, c’mon, man.” Hunk blushed to the tips of his ears.

“I saw you two together,” Lance said, nudging Hunk. “You’ve totally got a thing for Shay.”

“Shay?” Pidge blinked. “The vet intern?”

“Yup.” Lance nodded. “Hunk is totally smitten.” Then he paused and turned toward Pidge. “Did you memorize the entire list of interns or something? Or are you just really good with names?”

“Never mind that.” Pidge rolled their eyes. “And we’ll get back to teasing Hunk about his new girlfriend-”

“Hey, she’s not my-” but Pidge cut Hunk off.

“I want to hear the details about your overnight with Shiro.” They placed their elbows on the table and rested their chin on their interlaced fingers. “Spill.”

“I’d try to fight you on this, but I’m tired and hungry and I have a sneaking suspicion that you’re not going to let it drop any time soon,” Lance offered and Pidge nodded.

“Very astute,” they replied. “Go with your gut on this one, Lance.”

“Fine.” Lance gave a melodramatic sigh and stuffed a few fries into his mouth before recounting to his friends the events of the night and early morning. “And honestly, I thought Keith would kill me for taking his spot, but he was totally cool with it,” Lance went on. “And today, oh, so, he sneaks into our dorm, right? And then he tells me that Shiro wants us to come down for the naming of the cubs.”

“You’ve already named them!” Hunk exclaimed. “Did you get to help pick?”

“Well, sort of,” Lance admitted. “Dr. Holt said the girls’ names were set in stone from before they were born, but he and Shiro asked Keith and me to name Black Junior.”

“Black Junior?” Pidge parroted. “Seriously?”

“That’s just the little guy’s nickname.” Lance waved them off. “He’ll get a proper name later. But it suits him, don’t you think?”

“I suppose…” Pidge said slowly.

“It’s perfect, I think,” Hunk defended. “I mean, didn’t you say that the dad lion’s name means ‘black’?”

“Aw, Hunk, you remembered!” Lance was proud of him, especially considering that Lance never really shut up about the zoo during their entire childhood. Hunk was the best friend a guy could ask for. “But I can’t really take any of the credit,” he amended. “Keith was the one who came up with Black Junior.”

“Keith did?” Pidge asked.

“Yeah,” Lance replied with a chuckle. “And he said he was no good with names. Got all pouty and everything.” He snorted and then sobered up when he noticed the others’ curious gazes on him. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No reason.” Hunk cleared his throat, averting his eyes and scratching the side of his face.

Hunk may have been avoiding the issue, but Pidge was nothing if not blunt. “So, do you like Shiro or do you like Keith?” they asked, quirking a brow.

“W-What?” Lance blinked, taken by surprise.

“You’re just talking about Keith an awful lot,” Pidge explained, cocking their head to the side. “I thought you were head over heels for Shiro.”

Lance flushed, his cheeks growing impossibly warm. He covered it up by taking a huge gulp of his drink. “I mean, I _do_ like Shiro. You know that.” He muttered. He’d only had the biggest crush on him since before they ever met and it had only developed into something bigger, the more time they spent together. “And I work with Keith a lot, so, yeah, I’m going to talk about him.”

“Lance, you know it’s okay if you like both of them, right?” Pidge offered and, for once, there was no hint of teasing in their tone. “I mean, there’s no rule against it.”

“Both of them?” Lance wet his lips as he thought about that. Yeah. He definitely liked Shiro. A lot. But Keith? He was his rival, wasn’t he? “Pidge-”

“It’s not like you have to pick one right away. Or at all.” They shrugged and stole one of his fries. “You can just keep crushing on them until the end of summer.”

Ah, so that was what Pidge had meant. They weren’t implying that he should actively go for both Shiro and Keith. Which should have come as a relief, but he was still reeling at the whole ‘liking both of them’ thing. Did he really like Keith?

Keith was nicer than he’d originally thought, yeah. And they were getting along well. And Keith had flirted with him, hadn’t he? Or had Lance just assumed that because he was projecting his own feelings on the other intern.

It was then that he noticed the other two were still staring at him, so he cleared his throat.

“Okay, I mean, I’ll come with you on my having the hots for Shiro,” Lance said. “I mean, who wouldn’t, right? He’s super handsome and strong and brilliant! And surprisingly cute and a little shy and… He’s like my hero, you know, and…” he trailed off.

“That sounds like a bit more than ‘having the hots’ there, buddy,” Hunk said, finally taking a seat on Lance’s other side.

“Fine, fine. I like Shiro. Like, a lot.” Lance really didn’t think his day was going to end with him having to admit his feelings to his two friends. “But, Keith? I mean…” He trailed off, thoughts once again drifting toward the other intern.

It was true that he no longer disliked Keith. Well, he had a healthy dislike of him. A competitive sort of something. That was normal. It wasn’t like he had a crush on him or anything. Even if he was kind of cute. And a little funny – when he wasn’t actively brooding. And maybe Keith was sort of handsome in his own way.

Heat blossomed in Lance’s chest, spreading through his entire body and making his face feel like it was on fire. “Oh no…”

“I think he’s just realized,” Pidge said to Hunk with a quick bob of their head. “Yup, he’s got it bad.”

“What…” Lance began, a little lost. “What am I supposed to do with this information?” he asked, turning wide eyes on his friends.

“Well, you could start by finishing your dinner,” Hunk pointed out, pushing the paper boat of fries closer. But Lance had lost his appetite.

“You don’t have to do anything with it,” Pidge said. “You finally admitted to yourself that you like them and you don’t have to do anything about it, if you’re not ready.” They leaned closer and grinned. “But I am going to tease you relentlessly about it, once you calm down.”

If Hunk was an angel, Pidge was the devil.

“Anyway,” Hunk quickly changed the subject. “Tomorrow is the big day, right?”

“Ugh, don’t remind me…” Lance lamented, covering his face with his hands.

“What? I thought you were excited about being a tour guide,” Hunk sounded like he was frowning.

“I’m ecstatic,” Lance said, dragging his fingers down his face. “I really am, I’m just…nervous and now I keep thinking about Shiro and Keith and…what if I mess up tomorrow?”

“We heard you going over your script with Iverson,” Pidge began and then added, “Like, ten times.” Yeah, Iverson had definitely been thorough. “You’re going to nail it tomorrow.” Then they held up a slice of pizza, pushing it toward Lance’s face. “Now, _como el pizza_.”

Lance snorted at that. “Pidge, that’s not quite-”

“I’m working on it, okay?” They laughed and stuffed the slice into his mouth, getting grease all over his chin.

“Pidge!” Lance complained, shooting up in his seat and reaching for the stack of napkins. “The last thing I need tomorrow is a giant zit on my chin!”

“Oops, my bad,” they snickered. “Anyway, calm yourself.” They grinned. “You’ll be fine.”

“Totally,” Hunk added. “I don’t know anyone who knows as much about the zoo as you do, buddy. You’re going to blow them away tomorrow.”

Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or the fact that he was still reeling from admitting his feelings for both Shiro and Keith, but Lance felt like he could cry. He blinked back the tears and leaned forward, pulling his friends into a hug.

“Ah, what’s he doing?!” Pidge shrieked, but Hunk only gave a deep chuckle in response.

“I love you guys,” Lance said and pulled back just enough to give Pidge a noogie. “And _that_ is for all your teasing, you tiny gremlin.”

He was lucky to have them.

Now Lance just needed to focus on doing his best the following day. Then he could figure out what to do with his _two_ crushes.

Though, he figured it was safe to say that he had his work cut out for him.

 

The next morning, Lance woke up to breakfast in bed. Well, not the traditional tray of goodies, but there was a cup of orange juice and a bag filled with donuts on his nightstand. Bless Hunk. He was too good for his world. Too pure.

After gobbling up his meal, Lance hopped in the shower. He had about an hour before the time he was supposed to meet Colleen at the front gate, but he didn’t want to risk being late, so he rushed through his routine – he only conditioned for one minute instead of two, shame on him – to get himself ready.

The tour guides all wore a tan blazer with an orange silken lining. It wasn’t the most fashionable thing Lance had worn, but if he could rock the hand-me-down gift shop uniform, he could make this work.

Once he was dressed in the borrowed jacket – a perfect fit, somehow – he made his way down the hallway and toward the stairs. Most of the other interns were either already up for early shifts or were still sleeping until they were needed. And Lance’s group had paid to get into the zoo an hour before it opened, so they could avoid the crowds.

Colleen was waiting for him with a bright smile on her face. “I can’t thank you enough for this, Lance,” she said, placing her hands on his shoulders and giving him a quick, somehow professional hug. “Their bus should be here any moment. Do you have any questions or concerns?”

“No, ma’am,” he answered. “I think I’ve got it.” After dinner and his impromptu heart-to-heart with Hunk and Pidge, Lance had gone straight back to the dorm and pored over his script just to make sure he didn’t forget anything.

“Here.” Colleen produced a small radio. “If you run into any trouble, you can reach me on this,” she said. “But I know you’re going to do just fine.”

Sometimes Lance wondered where everyone got all of their confidence in him, but he decided not to question it. If the Holts, Pidge, Hunk – and especially Shiro and Keith – thought that he could do it, then he was going to give it his all. He’d make them proud.

Just as Colleen had said, the tour bus arrived a few minutes later. The doors opened and a good forty people came pouring out. Lance swallowed and walked toward them, giving his best and most welcoming smile.

“ _Bienvenidos al Garrison Zoo_ ,” he greeted and then began the tour.

 

The day had gone amazingly well. Lance had stumbled a little bit in the beginning, due to his nerves, but he had an answer for every question. He knew everything there was to know about the exhibits and when they reached the lion enclosure, he was happy to announce the birth of the cubs and that soon all of the park’s guests would be able to learn their names and vote on Black Junior’s.

Once lunch was over, Lance led his group to the gift shop for some last minute souvenirs before they boarded their bus and headed back to their hotel.

He was just waving goodbye when Colleen and Iverson approached him. “I see you managed to make it through,” Iverson said, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked down his nose at Lance. And Lance figured that was as close to a compliment as he was going to get from the older man.

“Thank you, sir.” He nodded.

“I really can’t express my immense appreciation, Lance.” Colleen stepped forward. “You handled the large crowd expertly.”

Lance knew his cheeks were glowing bright pink. “Thanks, ma’am.”

“Well, you’re all done for the day,” she said. “And I’ve arranged for you to work the later shift tomorrow.” Lance perked up at that. “So, if you don’t have any plans, we’d love to take you out to dinner as a thank you.”

Lance smiled. “I really appreciate the offer, but I’m afraid I’ve already got dinner plans,” he said. And suddenly Shiro and Keith’s faces flashed in his mind. He couldn’t wait to tell them how well he’d done. Would they be proud? Would Shiro ruffle his hair and tell him he knew it all along? Would Keith just smirk, his arms crossed over his chest, and tell Lance he was an idiot for doubting himself?

Those questions swirled in his head, almost causing him to miss what Colleen said next. “Well, we’ll have to take a raincheck, then.” She smiled. “Just make sure my husband and Takashi aren’t working you too hard, okay?”

Lance blushed. Of course she knew he was going to see Shiro. The Holts were always one step ahead, it seemed. “Yes, ma’am,” he replied quickly as he returned her radio. And then he was off.

 

Lance didn’t even bother stopping by his dorm to change. He knew dinner wouldn’t be for a couple of hours, but he was too excited to tell Shiro and Keith about his day.

He was practically sprinting through the zoo. But, when he reached the lion enclosure, he slowed down, taking deep breaths to control his breathing. No need to show up half-crazed and panting. He smoothed down his blazer and fixed his hair.

He opened the door to the familiar dark hallway and stepped inside. He figured that Shiro and Keith would be here this afternoon, since they’d had most of the night off and there were only so many people who were trusted to be on lion duty.

He probably should have sent Shiro a text to confirm, since they’d finally exchanged numbers, but he was already here.

Lance couldn’t wait to see them. He knew it was ridiculous. He’d seen them less than twenty-four hours earlier, but he was excited. And now that he’d admitted to himself that he liked them, well, that just made him all the more eager.

He walked past Buluu’s solitary pen and smiled down at her. She was calm now, probably because the other lioness had finally given birth. But they’d kept her away from the other lions just in case. New mothers were aggressive, even when the cubs weren’t theirs.

“Hey, girl.” He let his fingers glide along the glass. “Shiro and Keith in here?” he asked, knowing full well she couldn’t answer. And then, as if on cue, he heard Keith’s voice, raised in what sounded like anger or, considering its owner, annoyance.

“Shiro, you’re being ridiculous,” he spat.

Lance didn’t want to interrupt, so he stayed back, peeking around the corner. He spotted the two of them. Shiro was backed up against the wall, his arms at his sides and his hands clenched into fists. He was looking everywhere but at Keith.

“ _Keith_ ,” Shiro replied, his voice deep and serious.

“Don’t talk down to me.” Keith reached up and grabbed the front of Shiro’s shirt, tugging him forward. For a moment, Lance thought he might punch him. But that notion fled his mind when Keith lowered his voice, speaking in a harsh whisper. “At least I’m not afraid to admit what I want.” And then Keith closed the distance between them, pressing his lips against Shiro’s.

Lance’s heart stopped, his blood freezing in his veins. It felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over his head.

It didn’t matter. None of it. So what if Lance had a crush on both Shiro and Keith. That didn’t matter at all because… Because the two of them were together. Of course they were. It made perfect sense. The long, lingering looks they shared. The fond smiles.

They had a history. How could Lance have forgotten? They had something and Lance…he had nothing.

He looked up just as Shiro raised his hands and reached forward to grip Keith’s elbows. But he didn’t force him off. If anything, Shiro only deepened the kiss. And before he realized he’d started moving, Lance was down the hallway, pushing open the door to the enclosure and running out. The cool evening air slapped him in the face, stinging his tear-stained cheeks. When had he started crying? It didn’t matter. He just needed to get as far away from them as he could.

He was such an idiot.

It was so obvious now that Shiro was only being nice because that was just the kind of person he was. The kind of person who lent someone a jacket when they were cold. Or placed a blanket over them while they were sleeping. The kind of person who offered praise when he felt it was deserved, not because any one person was more special than another. Except for Keith.

And Keith. Lance had been so foolish to think that he’d been flirting with him. Sure, he’d walked him home – because Shiro asked him to. And he’d broken into Lance’s dorm to wake him up – because Shiro asked him to. Everything Keith had done was because of Shiro. Why hadn’t Lance seen that?

He choked on a sob and picked up the pace, breaking into a sprint. He wanted to get back to his room and bury himself under his blankets and never come out again. No, better yet, he wanted to go home. He was so embarrassed. And he’d joked about them going on a date tonight. Shiro and Keith had probably had a good laugh about that after he’d left.

Lance made it to the dormitory and rushed up the stairs. His vision was blurred by his tears, but muscle-memory led him to his room. He unlocked the door and threw it open, surprising Hunk and Pidge, who were sitting on the former’s bed, playing some sort of card game.

“Hey, Lance,” Hunk greeted. “How did the rest of your…” but he trailed off, wiping the smile from his face. “What happened?”

Lance whimpered, unable to form the words. The moment Hunk stood up, Lance rushed toward him, burying his face in his best friend’s chest and finally letting go. Strong arms wrapped around him, supporting him, as sobs wracked his body.

After what felt like an eternity, Lance pulled back, wiping his eyes and nose with his borrowed blazer’s sleeve. “Thanks, man,” he croaked, his voice completely ruined.

“Of course,” Hunk said, placing his hands on Lance’s shoulders and directing him toward his bed so he could sit down. “Now, what happened?”

Lance looked up, taking in Hunk’s concerned expression and catching sight of Pidge, who was cautiously peeking over Hunk’s shoulder. He took a deep, shaky breath. “I’m…an idiot,” Lance admitted.

“What happened?” Hunk repeated, softly, gently.

“Yeah, you were doing great when you brought your group in for lunch,” Pidge added, drawing closer. “And my m—I mean, Dr. Holt told us what a great job you were doing.”

“Did something happen at the gift shop?” Hunk questioned and Lance could have laughed out loud. Heck, maybe he had.

“No.” He shook his head. “Let’s just say, I don’t have to worry about choosing between Shiro and Keith anymore.” He sniffled, rubbing his nose again. He didn’t miss the way Hunk and Pidge exchanged glances, but he was thankful that they didn’t pry further.

“We were just in the middle of a game of Go Fish,” Hunk began. “We can deal you in, if you want,” he offered.

“Yeah, Hunk was losing so badly,” Pidge added. “It’d be nice to get some actual competition.”

Lance smiled at that, watery though it was. He’d said it before, but he was lucky to have them. Sure, he’d made a lot of assumptions regarding Shiro and Keith, but he knew for a fact that Hunk and Pidge were there for him.

“Do you think we could order in some pizza?” Lance asked. “Or maybe Chinese?”

“I got you, buddy,” Hunk replied, already picking up his phone. “Lo mein?”

“Mei fun, extra shrimp, add egg.”

“On it.” Hunk stood up and walked over toward the door so he could place their order, leaving Lance alone on his bed with Pidge hovering just in front of him.

“Hey,” they began, taking a seat beside him. “You okay?”

Obviously, he wasn’t. But he really didn’t feel like talking about it right now, so he just shook his head. Pidge nodded in understanding and scooched closer, placing their hand over his.

“Tell anyone else about this and I’ll make you wish you were never born,” they said before giving his hand a squeeze and resting their head on his shoulder.

Hunk returned a few minutes later. The mattress dipped as he sat on Lance’s other side. Without saying a word, he took Lance’s other hand in his and let him rest his head on his shoulder. What a sight they must have been, all cuddled together, but Lance couldn’t complain. He felt safe between them. Wanted.

“They said it would be here in twenty minutes or so,” Hunk whispered, reaching his other hand up to comb through Lance’s hair. “Want to get a round of Go Fish in? Or maybe some Slap Jack?”

“Yeah. That sounds good.” Lance stood up and removed his blazer. He threw it onto the bed and, when it landed, his phone slipped out of the breast pocket, lighting up and vibrating as if on cue. Lance reached for it, but Hunk was closer.

“It’s Shiro,” he said, reading the screen.

Lance drew his hand back and stuffed it into his pocket. “Ignore it.”

Again, Hunk and Pidge gave each other knowing looks, but remained silent. The vibrations ceased a few seconds later and the three headed to Hunk’s bed. But then his phone went off again. He didn’t need Hunk to tell him that it was Shiro calling back. After all, he and Keith were supposed to be taking Lance out for his victory dinner.

That was the last thing Lance wanted. To be their third wheel.

“Should I answer?” Hunk offered. It was probably for the best.

“Yeah,” Lance said. “Just, uh…tell him I’m not feeling well, okay?” Hunk nodded and swiped to answer. He was grateful that he had such good and caring friends. And when Hunk ended the call, he tossed Lance’s phone aside.

“He said he hopes you feel better.”

Ha. Fat chance.

“Let’s play Slap Jack,” Lance decided, wanting to take his aggression out one way or another. “C’mon, Pidge,” he plastered on a smirk. “Deal us in.”

 

The rest of the night was actually quite enjoyable. Lance hadn’t thought about Shiro or Keith – or their kiss – more than a couple of times. The Chinese food was greasy and fantastic. And his friends just chattered on about Sal’s new idea for a dessert bar. Well, to be fair, it was Hunk’s idea, but Sal had brought up making the desserts fresh to order.

By the time their internship was over, the zoo’s little quick service cafe was going to be transformed into a five-star restaurant, Lance was sure.

Pidge left around midnight, mumbling something about promising to work on a website for their dad. And that left Lance and Hunk alone in their dorm.

“I’d better hit the hay,” Hunk said, stretching his arms high in the air. “I’m not in till lunch tomorrow, but I want to swing by early and talk to Sal about ordering a blast chiller.”

What even was the restaurant’s budget?

“That’s cool,” Lance lied. He really wanted to stay up longer, maybe even cuddle up in Hunk’s bed. But that wasn’t fair. Life didn’t just come to a halt because you got your heart broken. “I think I’ll turn in, too.”

But when the lights went out, Lance lay wide awake, staring up at the ceiling. He thought of all the good times he’d had with Shiro and Keith. And how hard it was going to be to face them now.

He couldn’t avoid them forever. Black Junior needed to be fed and Lance was an honorary behaviorist intern now. He’d have to work side by side with them for the rest of the summer, watching them be all cute and kissy.

Well, judging by what he’d seen tonight, angry and kissy.

Maybe that was just how Keith always kissed. He seemed like the type to be a little rough. As opposed to Shiro, who would probably be patient and gentle.

Ugh, and now Lance was thinking about how they kissed! He really needed to get over it and just fall asleep already. He had no chance, he got that. Cool. Great. Now he just had to get over it and move on.

Easier said than done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh. This looks bad, I'll admit. But hang in there, Lance! Things aren't always as they seem.
> 
> Gosh, I almost feel like I need to post the next chapter sooner now... Mostly because I love the next _two_ chapters, actually. But I'll try to be patient, haha.


	8. Surprise Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance receives a visit from his number one fan. And then gets whisked away~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope Lance will be okay after the last chapter!  
> Probably a bit of a spoiler, but Lance's mother is based on a combination of my mom, my grandma, and my best friend's mom. XD  
> One other note: I know that Lance's sister's name is canonically Veronica, but I named her Marisol months before Season 5 came out, so...I'm keeping it. I hope you don't mind.
> 
> Beta'd, as always, by the fantastic Alex!  
> Please enjoy~

Lance wasn’t in until lunch, like Hunk, but he had no intention of dropping by early. He’d woken up to his alarm, feeling sluggish and miserable. He’d tossed and turned all night. And what little sleep he’d gotten was plagued by memories of Shiro and Keith’s kiss, cycling over and over.

He had a feeling that today was going to be really rough.

As it turned out, the lunch rush was a nice distraction for Lance. He and Pidge worked the front and it felt good to get their teamwork on again. He even helped out a few confused customers. He was starting to feel a better.

And then two-thirty hit.

It was funny how, until last night, he used to look forward to Shiro’s lunch break. Now, when he glanced up at the clock between wiping tables, a sense of dread washed over him.

And sure enough, on the dot, the doors to the restaurant opened and in strode Shiro, with Keith following close behind. Of course, they were together. They were hardly ever apart. Why hadn’t Lance realized sooner? It would have saved him a lot of heartache.

He quickly dashed behind the counter, wanting to have something between them to act as a buffer. Shiro was looking around and then his face lit up when he spotted Lance. He made his way over, a relieved smile on his lips.

“Lance,” he began, giving him a once over. “Are you feeling better?”

“I’m fine,” Lance answered as coolly as possible, though he had a feeling his voice was shaking. “Sorry I had to cancel our plans.”

“That’s completely fine,” Shiro said. “I’m just glad you’re all right.” He leaned closer. “I thought maybe the lack of sleep and the busy day with the tour group had caused you to fall ill and-” He reached a hand toward him, but Lance jerked back. Shiro frowned. “Lance?”

“Please don’t touch me,” Lance said and then wet his lips. “I’m at work.” It was a flimsy excuse and he could tell that Shiro wasn’t buying it.

“Lance, are you still not feeling well?” he asked, clearly not getting it. “If not, maybe you should-”

“I told you, _I’m fine_.” Lance was staring holes into the counter, unable to meet Shiro’s gaze. He just wanted the older man to go away and take Keith with him.

“What’s going on with you?” Speak of the devil. Keith had finally meandered over to the counter to join them.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Lance said, his jaw clenched tight. “I’m fine.”

“Funny,” Keith began and Lance looked up just in time to see him narrow his eyes. “You don’t sound fine.”

“Well, I’m just peachy.” He threw his arms up into the air. “So, if you two would be so kind as to place your order. We have other guests waiting.”

He was being so obvious. There wasn’t even anyone else in the restaurant. He needed to calm down. It wasn’t like Shiro and Keith knew that he’d seen them. They were probably blissfully assuming that their secret relationship was still hidden.

“What the hell?” Keith drew his brows down. “Lance, what’s your deal?”

“Nothing.” Lance bit his lower lip. Hard. “Listen, maybe I’m not feeling so hot, after all.” He turned to call for Pidge. Or Hunk. Or Sal. Anyone would do. He just needed some time in the walk-in freezer to cool his head – and maybe scream for a few minutes.

“Lance,” Shiro tried again. “Did something happen?”

Lance snapped his head up at that, tears already starting to fill his eyes. He blinked them back, but he was fighting a losing battle. However, before either could say another word, a cheery voice interrupted them.

“Ah, I told you he’d be here.” It was Colleen Holt. She was all smiles. Lance quickly regained his composure, sniffling and clearing his throat.

“Dr. Holt,” he greeted. “What brings you here?”

“Well, I happened to be at the front gate, when I ran into your number one fan,” Colleen explained. His number one fan? Who…? And then she stepped to the side, revealing

“ _Mamá_?” Lance gaped.

“Hey there, Monkey!” She smiled. “I had an appointment in the area and I thought I’d swing by to see my handsome zoo keeper at work!”

Oh, great. A few hours earlier and Lance would have leapt into her arms and let her stroke his hair until his tears subsided. But now? Now was not a good time.

“Wow, what are you…? I mean, why…?” He shook his head. “It’s good to see you.”

His mother beamed at him and stepped closer, but not before turning to face Dr. Holt. “Thank you again for letting me know where he was, Colleen.”

“It was my pleasure, Delma,” she replied. “And we’ll definitely have to do lunch at that new Vietnamese place you were telling me about.” Ah, good. His mom had made a friend. “Well, you’ll have to excuse me. I’ve got a couple executives waiting in my office.”

“Of course,” his mother said. “Good luck!” Then she turned back toward Lance. “So, my darling, I’m sorry I missed your big tour guide day, but Miss Colleen tells me that you were a rock star.”

“Ah, I’m not so sure about that…” Lance awkwardly rubbed at the back of his neck.

“Nonsense!” she chided. “My baby is always so modest.” She placed her hands on her hips and then glanced over at Shiro and Keith. “Oh, and this must be the famous Takashi Shirogane.” She drew closer, as if inspecting him. “Yes, I recognize you from the magazines in Lance’s room.”

“ _Mamá!”_ She was going to be the death of him.

“Oh. Yes, that’s me.” Shiro offered her his hand and she shook it.

“Ah, even more handsome in person,” she praised and Shiro’s cheeks tinted pink. “I take it my son has been doing a good job for you, as well?”

“Yes, he has,” Shiro answered, his gaze darting over to Lance, his expression almost unsure. “He actually helped us quite a bit when our pregnant lioness gave birth.”

“Oh, so she finally popped!” His mother cheered gleefully. “That reminds me of my eldest, Marisol, when she was pregnant with the twins-”

“ _Mamá,_ ” Lance tried to stop her before she began rambling. It was obvious that he’d gotten his talkative nature from her. In fact, most everyone who met his mother saw her as a shorter, rounder version of Lance. Though, in reality, he supposed he was a taller, thinner version of her.

“Right, right. Sorry.” She chuckled and then looked at Keith. “And who is this?”

“This is my other intern,” Shiro introduced.

“Keith Kogane,” he extended his hand toward her, but before she took it, she leaned closer to Lance and spoke in a stage whisper.

“So, _this_ is the Keith you told me about.”

Okay, Universe. Very funny. Anything else you want to throw Lance’s way? Maybe she’ll pull out his baby pictures next?

“Well, I know you’re all busy,” she continued, oblivious to Lance’s distress and mortification. “So, I’ll just step into the back and give Hunk a quick kiss.”

“No, wait!” Lance reached out for her. “You’re not supposed to…” But she was already through the swinging door and into the kitchen.

His mother was a whirlwind of a woman.

 

Lance stared after her, happy to have a good excuse to look away from Keith and Shiro. She reappeared a few moments later, led by Sal. Lance thought he was going to kick her out, but the usually grumpy man was smiling.

“You’ll have to share the recipe with me some time, Delma,” he was saying. Of course. Lance should have known better. Then Sal turned his gaze on him. “Lance, it’s slowed down. Why don’t you take the rest of the evening off? Show your mom those lion cubs of yours?”

Actually, that was a great idea! The perfect way out of this uncomfortable situation. He could just give his mom a quick tour, tell her about everything he’s been doing during his internship, and end it with introducing her to Njano, Kijani, and Black Junior.

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Lance’s mother clapped her hands together excitedly. “You work for an excellent man, Monkey,” she said to Lance before turning toward Sal and reaching up to pinch the large man’s cheeks. “And I’ll make sure he gets you that recipe, okay?”

Lance just smiled and shook his head. “Thanks, Sal,” he said, and meant it. “I’ll go clock out real quick and then we can go.”

He wasted no time going to the timeclock in the back. Then he grabbed his wallet and took a deep breath. He could still picture Shiro’s confused and hurt expression, and Keith’s angry one. Though, beneath the anger, his wasn’t too far off from Shiro’s. Lance had hurt them.

“Good,” he muttered to himself, though it didn’t feel good at all. “Serves them right.” For what? For leading him on? They didn’t. That was all Lance’s imagination. So, what _did_ they do? Keep their relationship a secret? It was between an intern and his boss. So, maybe secrecy had been the best option.

Still… Lance had really felt something when he and Shiro were together. And Keith, too. He couldn’t shake that warm feeling he seemed to get every time his ‘rival’ would do something seemingly out of character. Like when he’d eaten the burger Hunk made and showed a face like it was the best thing he’d ever tasted.

Lance shook his head, clearing his thoughts. None of that mattered now. Keith and Shiro were together. End of story. He’d just get over it, like any other fleeting little crush, and move on.

No matter how much his heart hurt.

 

When Lance walked back up to the front, his mother was waiting, grinning from ear to ear as she spoke to Pidge. Lance did a quick sweep and didn’t see either Shiro or Keith. Okay, good. Then he pushed the door open.

“Ah, he’s back!” his mother cheered. “Shall we go?”

“Sure, _Mamá_ ,” he replied and then faced Pidge. “You think you can handle the front by yourself?” he asked with a teasing lilt.

“Oh, I think I’ll manage,” Pidge began and then smirked before adding, “ _Monkey_.”

Ugh. Well, it could be worse. He’d had plenty of nicknames from his family that didn’t stick. So, he just rolled his eyes and nudged Pidge before walking around the counter and to his mom.

“Takashi and Keith are waiting for us outside,” she said.

Yup. Lance knew it could be worse. And there it was.

“They…are?” He looked over at Pidge, who shot him an apologetic glance.

“Yes!” She beamed. “They were just heading back to work and, since we’re going to the same place, I thought it might be nice to all walk together.” She paused, leaning closer so only Lance could hear. “Plus, I thought you might like to spend some extra time with your hero.”

Lance could have sobbed. Had it been any other day. Heck, if it had been any time before he’d walked in on them, he would have loved that. But this was too soon. He really wanted to avoid them. He’d even been secretly hoping that it was Dr. Holt’s turn on lion watch. Or Matt’s. Or Shay’s. Or anyone else.

“You don’t look happy,” his mother’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“Nothing, _Mamá_.” He was lying. She knew it. He knew she knew it. “I’m just a little tired,” he explained. “Big day yesterday.”

His mother fixed him with a look, but she didn’t pry. She might have seemed like an overenthusiastic, intrusive woman, but she was truly the kindest and most understanding person Lance had ever known. And he was thankful when she placed a warm hand on the middle of his back and gently directed him toward the exit.

“That’s right!” she exclaimed, going along as he opened the door for her. “Tell me all about it, Mr. Tour Guide.”

 

The walk to the lion enclosure was peppered with light conversation. Usually his mother asking about this or that in order to distract him and to fill what would have surely been an awkward and uncomfortable silence. She’d picked up on what was going on. She may not have known that Lance’s heart had been shattered, but she knew something was up.

Lance was content to answer her questions and fill her in on everything he’d done so far. Though, as he spoke, he could feel eyes on him. He knew if he glanced up, he’d catch Shiro and Keith staring at him, probably wondering what they’d done to make him act this way.

But he didn’t look up. He couldn’t. No. He wouldn’t do that to himself. He’d have to face the music sooner or later, but he certainly wasn’t going to do it at this very moment, with his mother happily chatting at his side.

When they reached the familiar door, Shiro held it open for them, allowing Keith to lead Lance’s mother inside. But before Lance could cross the threshold, he held a hand out, blocking his path. “Lance-” he started.

“Not now, Shiro,” he said, eyes downcast. “ _Mamá_ ’s waiting.”

“Lance, I promise I’ll only ask one more time and then I’ll drop it, I just…” Shiro sighed. “Did we…did _I_ do something?” And when Lance didn’t answer, he continued. “If I was too forward back at the restaurant, I apologize,” he said. “I shouldn’t have tried to touch you at work. I was just concerned for your well-being and…and in the past, you didn’t seem to mind-”

“Well, I mind now,” Lance managed, still staring down at his feet, which were starting to look a little blurry. Oh, great. He was crying again.

“Lance-”

“Shiro, _please_ ,” he begged. “I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

In his periphery, Shiro straightened. “I understand,” he replied. “But we will talk about it later.” It wasn’t a question. And though Shiro was a kind, patient man, his tone reflected one of authority. But, of course. Lance was his subordinate. And things wouldn’t run smoothly if one of his interns wasn’t speaking to him or had an unresolved issue.

Lance didn’t answer verbally, but he nodded, and that seemed to be enough for Shiro, who stepped out of the way and granted him entry.

He sped down the hallway and found his mother cooing affectionately at Kijani, who was cradled in Keith’s arms.

“Oh, she’s an absolute angel!” she gasped. “Ah, Monkey….” She turned toward Lance. “You really helped bring her into the world?”

Lance flushed and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I mean, I was _there_ … I don’t know how much help I was.”

“He was especially helpful with the youngest,” Shiro spoke up. “Black Junior wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for him.”

He glanced up just in time to see his mother place a hand over her heart and give him a watery smile. “My son…” She stepped closer, pulling him into her arms. “When I heard you’d be working with the animals, I knew you’d do wonderful things.”

It could have been the stress from the past twenty-four hours combined with his rather sleepless night, but Lance started to tear up, too.

“And he’s the only one who can get Black Junior to take a bottle,” Keith added as he stepped back into the den and set Kijani down by her mother.

“Speaking of which, isn’t it about that time?” Shiro asked.

“Yeah,” Keith replied. “Shay was here just a minute ago, checking on them. She went to go get the formula.”

“Oh, I get to see you feed him?” his mother exclaimed. “Let me get out my camera.” She dug around in her bag and produced her digital camera. She used her phone pretty often, but she kept the archaic device for ‘memory making,’ as she liked to call it. “Ooh, actually.” She reached out and grabbed Keith’s arm, nudging him closer to Lance. And then she did the same with Shiro. “Let me take a picture of the lion team.”

“ _Mamá_ -”

“Bip bip bip,” she cut him off, waving her hand in dismissal. “One group shot won’t kill you,” she said. “The rest can be candid.”

Lance knew there was no arguing with her. “Fine.”

“Good.” She grinned. “Now, get close and say ‘lions’!”

Lance tried his best and hearing Shiro and Keith awkwardly saying ‘lions’ from either side of him actually made it pretty easy to plaster a photo-worthy smile onto his face. Even now, with as tense as everything was, he still liked them. Still found them cute. And cool. And handsome.

His heart gave a painful little twinge at that. He really liked them a lot.

Once the photo shoot had ended – _one group shot_ , _his behind_ – Shay appeared with a bottle of formula in hand. She introduced herself to Lance’s mom, who explained who she was and why a ‘crazy lady with a camera’ was in the lion enclosure. “My Lance is very good with the animals, yes?” she asked. “I think it’s sad that he works less with Hunk now, but I’m glad he’s fulfilling his dream.”

“ _Mamá_ …” Lance groaned, a little embarrassed at how she’d worded it. She wasn’t wrong, but still.

“You know Hunk, as well?” Shay asked, catching Lance’s attention. He glanced over and noticed a slight blush on the taller girl’s cheeks. Maybe Hunk’s crush was mutual. He’d have to tell him after this.

Lance’s mom told her that Hunk and Lance had been best friends for ages and how she was ‘like a mother’ to him. But before they could continue their chat, Shiro cleared his throat.

“I hate to interrupt,” he began, stepping forward with Black Junior cradled in his arms. “But if you’d like to get some pictures of him feeding, I would suggest getting your camera ready.” Shiro offered his mother one of those soft smiles that Lance liked so much before turning toward him. “Are you ready for him?”

Lance nodded, gingerly taking the cub and moving him into position. Shay handed him the bottle and Lance hummed softly to get the cub’s attention. It was faster this time, as Black Junior put up less of a fight. He must have been really hungry. Because the moment those dark little eyes focused on the bottle, he stretched his neck out, opened his tiny mouth, and latched on.

“There’s a boy.” Lance smiled down at him. He could hear his mother fussing excitedly beside him as she took picture after picture, her digital camera clicking away. But he was focused completely on the cub. He wondered if it was true that the little guy was alive because of him. Surely Matt would have figured out a way to save him without his help. But still, he was alive and soon he’d be big and strong like his sisters.

“Ah, that’s a great shot,” his mother said, pulling him out of his own little world. When he looked up, Shay was still standing there, but Matt and Rax had joined her.

“We’re here for lion watch,” Matt announced before he caught sight of Lance’s mom. “And who is this lovely young lady?” He stepped forward and took her hand in his, causing her to giggle like a school girl.

Lance liked Matt. He really did. But nobody, and that meant _nobody_ , flirted with his mom.

“Oh, you,” she snorted, putting her camera away. “I’m Delma. Lance’s mother.”

“Mother?” Matt gasped, placing a hand over his heart. “I thought you might be his older sister.”

Oh. If Lance wasn’t holding Black Junior…

“I’m Matthew Holt,” he introduced himself. “I’m one of the veterinary technicians here at the zoo.” He gestured toward Lance. “Your son has really been helping us out.”

“So, I’ve heard!” his mother said excitedly, but her mouth dropped into a disapproving frown when she looked at Lance. “Monkey, why are you scowling like that? Your face will stick.”

Lance blinked and averted his gaze. He hadn’t realized he was still glaring, which made him feel especially rude, considering Matt had just complimented him. But he didn’t get a chance to apologize because his mother, pleased he was no longer glaring daggers at Matt, continued.

“Well, I’m glad I was able to see my Lance at work,” she said. “And I’m happy to have met all of you.” She even smiled at Rax, who’d ignored her presence entirely and was already moving to take Black Junior from Lance’s arms.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, as well, ma’am,” Shiro said to her.

“Thank you for taking care of my son,” she replied, reaching over and giving Lance a quick squeeze. “I should be getting home. I wouldn’t want to cramp your style any more than I already have,” she said with a laugh. “Will you walk me to the gate?” she asked Lance.

“Of course,” he replied. Even if she could be a little embarrassing at times, he was so happy she’d come to visit. He was still feeling down, but seeing her made him feel a lot less homesick. Maybe he’d make it through the rest of the summer, after all.

“We can escort you, as well,” Shiro offered. “We’re done with our shifts.”

“That would be-” his mother began, but Lance cut her off.

“No, thank you,” he said, trying desperately to ignore the pained expression that flashed over Shiro’s face at his tone.

Lance didn’t wait for a response. He just bid the others farewell, purposely avoiding making eye contact with both Shiro and Keith, and then led his mother down the hallway and to the exit.

They walked in silence – something unusual for them – until they reached the old building where the Dolphin Show used to be held.

“Monkey,” she began.

“I know…I was really rude to Shiro.” He closed his eyes and sighed.

“I just find it surprising, is all,” she replied. “He is like your hero and the way you were acting…” she trailed off. “Monkey, I’m worried about you.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “Did something happen?”

He took a deep breath, his chest feeling hollow. “Yes, but…if it’s okay, could we not talk about it right now?” He shot her an apologetic glance and she nodded.

“Of course, baby.” Then she wrapped an arm around his waist and tugged him close to her side. “But you know I’m worse than those lions in there, right? And if someone hurt my cub…” she threatened and then gently bumped the top of her head under his chin. “You tell me whenever you’re ready.”

Lance smiled then, a real one, and pulled her closer as they reached the gate. “Thanks, _Mamá_.”

He walked her to her car, which was parked pretty close, and then watched as she pulled away. For a moment, he thought about flagging her down and jumping into the passenger seat. But he just lifted his arm up and waved instead.

No sooner had his mother driven out of sight, did someone grab onto Lance’s arm. He sucked in a breath, whipping around to see who it was. He may have been lanky, but he was quick. And if someone thought they were going to mug him right in front of his place of business, well…they had another thing coming.

But when he turned, he didn’t see a mugger.

“Keith?” He drew back, blinking in surprise. Then he glanced down at where the other’s hand was gripping his upper arm. “What the-”

“I’m not sure what’s going on with you today, but you’re coming with me.” And without waiting for a response, Keith began dragging him over to the other end of the parking lot.

After staggering and stumbling for a few steps, Lance dug his heels in and managed to tear away from him. “Dude, what the heck are you doing?” he asked, finally over his initial shock.

“I’m taking you out,” Keith replied. He thrust his hand out with an impatient little huff, waiting for Lance to take it.

Lance looked down at the offered hand with its gloved palm and naked fingers. Yesterday he would have gladly accepted. He would have been nervous that his own hand was sweaty, but he would have taken Keith’s and gone wherever he wanted to go. But now…

“Taking me out,” Lance repeated, shaking his head slightly. “What are you talking about?”

“Shiro and I never did get to take you out for your victory milkshake,” he said. “So, I’m making up for that now.”

Lance knew he should say ‘no.’ He should ask why Shiro wasn’t there. He should ask why Keith wanted to be alone with him when he was with Shiro. But he didn’t. And after another moment’s hesitation, he placed his hand in Keith’s, yelping when the other yanked him forward and tugged him along the rest of the way.

They stopped in front of a red and white motorcycle. Lance didn’t go off property much, but when he did, that particular bike stood out to him on the lot. It was flashy and fast-looking. Of course, it was Keith’s.

“This your ride?” Lance asked coolly as Keith pulled a spare helmet out from beneath the seat.

“No, I’m stealing it,” Keith replied flatly and when Lance gave him a scandalized look, he snorted. “That was a joke.” He thrust the helmet into Lance’s chest. Lance caught it with an ‘oof.’ “Climb on,” Keith said as he swung one leg over the bike. “Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh. Where're we going, Keith?  
> I wonder...


	9. Confession (Part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith delivers on a promise and Lance learns a bit more about what's been going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a holiday weekend, so I figured it was okay to update my story a few hours early. I hope you all don't mind~  
> Also, just a reminder that I made Keith lactose intolerant before I knew it was cool (we'll say I'm an accidental hipster)
> 
> As usual, my beloved beta Alex was kind enough to approve this chapter. Bless him.  
> Please enjoy!!

Lance didn’t like being ordered around. And he still wasn’t sure why this was happening. Keith and Shiro were both supposed to take him – before the whole kiss thing – so why wasn’t Shiro here? Why was it just Keith? And why was Lance placing the helmet onto his head and getting onto the back of this fast- and dangerous-looking motorcycle?

He didn’t have the answers. But he also knew that he wouldn’t find them if he stayed. So, with one last deep breath, he took a seat. He wasn’t sure where to put his hands, but the moment Keith started it up, the sudden, ripping noise of the engine startling him, he gripped the back of the other’s jacket.

“You’ll fall off or choke me out if you hold on like that,” Keith said with another little snort as he glanced over his shoulder. “Wrap your arms around my waist.”

“Keith-”

“Just do it.” He rolled his eyes and jerked the bike forward, causing Lance to do as he was told. He wrapped his arms around Keith and buried his face in the nape of his neck. He accidentally inhaled some of the hair sticking out from under Keith’s helmet – stupid mullet – but he didn’t care. Because Keith had taken off and all Lance could do was hold on for dear life.

It was terrifying how fast Keith was driving and how tightly he took corners.

And they weren’t even on the highway yet.

 

He held onto Keith like he was his life line and, to be quite honest, he was. Apparently, Keith had never heard of speed limits or traffic laws, given the way he was driving.

Lance didn’t know where they were going, because he’d kept his eyes tightly shut. He just knew they’d probably get there quickly. And, sure enough, a few minutes into the most terrifying ride of his life, Keith slowed down and finally came to a stop.

Lance cracked an eye open when the other chuckled. “You can let go now.”

“I’m trying,” he muttered against the back of Keith’s jacket, shooting him a glare. “I think your reckless driving caused temporary paralysis.”

Keith snorted and removed his helmet, pulling away and causing Lance to slump forward. “I wasn’t being reckless,” he said.

“Weaving in and out of traffic and going twice the speed limit isn’t what I’d call ‘safe’, Keith,” he argued. But, again, the other laughed.

“I wasn’t going twice the speed limit, you big baby.” He dismounted, setting his helmet down on the seat, and then held his hand out to Lance. “C’mon. It’s time for your victory milkshake.”

Lance didn’t want to admit that his legs still felt like jelly, but he also didn’t want to fall flat onto his face after he got off of the bike. So, he took Keith’s offered hand and stepped down. He placed his borrowed helmet next to Keith’s and then looked up at the neon sign in the window. It was still light out, but the letters shined brightly.

“This isn’t Dairy Queen,” Lance noted.

“Nothing gets by you, huh?” Keith teased and Lance’s jaw dropped. Just when had he gotten so cheeky? And wasn’t Lance supposed to be mad at him? Well, maybe ‘mad’ wasn’t the right word. But he was upset, right? Because Keith was with Shiro.

Then why was it that, when Keith turned to face him, a playful smile on his lips, Lance’s heart skipped a beat?

“This is a local joint I discovered my first week here,” he said. “Whenever I’m feeling frustrated or stressed, I go out for a ride.”

“So, you must have logged a lot of miles, then.” Lance snickered, elbowing Keith in the ribs.

“Ha ha, very funny.” He shoved him back. “But yes. It helps clear my mind.”

“And then you find places like this,” Lance offered, gesturing toward the building. His own family home wasn’t too far, maybe about forty-five minutes or so, but he’d never been to this particular mom and pop looking establishment.

“I’ve heard they have really good sundaes,” Keith added. “But we’re here for your milkshake, so…” He placed a hand on the small of Lance’s back and pushed him forward, toward the window. It had a sign above it which read ‘order here.’ “What flavor do you want, Mr. Tour Guide?” Keith asked.

Lance took a look at the menu. They had quite a range of choices and he decided two things right then and there. The first was that he needed to tell Hunk and Pidge about this place ASAP. And the second was that he definitely needed to try every flavor they had.

“Hmm…” he mused, pursing his lips. There were too many options. There was always the old standby, classic vanilla. But chocolate sounded good. And pistachio was hard to resist. Maybe mint chocolate chip was better. But it was too hard to decide.

“Why don’t you go find us a seat and I’ll order?” Keith suggested.

Lance wanted to argue and say that he was perfectly capable of ordering his own milkshake, but when he turned to do so, Keith was smiling again. Almost softly. Well, as soft as Keith could manage, Lance supposed. So, he acquiesced. “Fine,” he sighed. “Just make sure there’s extra whipped cream,” he added as he scoped out the seating area.

There were a few round tables with big umbrellas and a longer, rectangular one off to the side. Two of the smaller rounds were taken and one had a spilled sundae across its top, so Lance took the only small table left.

It was nice sitting outside, actually. There was a cool breeze and the sun was still out, so it wasn’t too chilly. It was amazing how hot it could be during the day, but _oh, oh, those summer nights_. He chuckled to himself, almost starting to sing the rest of the song. But he was interrupted by a Styrofoam cup appearing right under his nose.

There was a mountain of whipped cream towering over the rim and three cherries on top.

Lance peeked over Mt. Reddi-wip and at Keith’s proud, almost smug-looking face. “What flavor is it?” Lance asked, but the other shook his head.

“It’s a surprise.”

“Hmm…” Lance eyed the cup suspiciously, but then took it. If Keith had wanted to get rid of him, he could have sent Nyekundu after him. So, Lance was fairly certain the milkshake wasn’t poisoned.

“No allergies, right?”

“Just pet dander,” Lance replied and then laughed. “Not like that stopped us from adopting every stray within a five mile radius of our house.” Keith didn’t reply to that, he only quirked a brow.

“Here.” He handed him a straw and sat opposite him. Then he took a big bite out of the ice cream cone he was holding.

“What a second,” Lance said just as he stuck the straw through his whipped cream pile. “I thought you said you were lactose intolerant.” He frowned. “Won’t that, like, kill you?”

“I’ll be fine,” Keith replied, licking up a stray drop of melted ice cream that had begun to drip down the side of his cone. “This one is made with almond milk.”

Lance raised his brows. That was pretty cool, actually. And Keith’s cone looked good. It was dipped in chocolate at the top and the ice cream appeared to be a mix between cookie dough and fudge brownie.

“Would you like some?” Keith asked, a little smirk on his lips as he held the cone toward Lance.

Oh, great. He’d been caught staring.

“No, thank you. I’ll stick with the milkshake,” he replied.

Keith shrugged his shoulders. “Suit yourself.” And then he took another bite, smearing his lips on one of the gooey brownie pieces. His tongue darted out to swipe away the chocolate, but it was a stubborn stain, and Lance followed the motion as Keith attempted to lap it up, the pink appendage brushing against soft-looking lips.

Lips that, only just the night before, had been kissing Shiro, Lance reminded himself.

He tore his gaze away and wrapped his own lips around his straw. It took several mighty slurps before the super thick shake finally made it to his awaiting mouth. And the moment the frozen concoction touched the tip of his tongue, he was in love.

Lance’d had a lot of milkshakes in his life. But the one he was drinking right now was the best, by far. Keith had chosen strawberry. It was simple. But it was amazing. The texture was perfect. The flavor was on point. And, as Lance happily slurped away, chomping the little bits of fresh berries that made their way up the wide straw, he couldn’t help but to be grateful that Keith had dragged him out here.

“That good, huh?” Keith asked, breaking Lance’s concentration.

“Hmm?” He blinked, releasing his straw with an almost audible ‘pop.’ “What?”

“Well, you haven’t said anything for a while,” Keith pointed out. “And you normally never stop talking.”

“Hey!” Lance gasped, offended. “Sorry if I can’t be the aloof, silent type, like _some_ people.” He turned his nose up, but brought the straw to his lips once more. Just because he was pouting, it didn’t mean that he had to stop enjoying his shake.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Keith said, voice almost gentle. Then he lowered it further. “I like hearing you talk,” he said. And when Lance looked back toward him, the other’s eyes were downcast and there was a telltale blush creeping onto his pale cheeks.

“W-Well,” Lance began and then regained his composure, “ _Mamá_ always said I had the voice of an angel,” he joked, suddenly a little embarrassed himself. He went back to slurping his shake. Now that he’d primed the pump, so to speak, it was easier to drink, and he’d downed half of it before pulling away and pressing a hand against the dull ache that resided just behind his eyes.

“You okay?” Keith asked, furrowing his brow.

“Brain freeze,” Lance admitted. “Too much, too fast.”

Keith chuckled and Lance lowered his hand to glare at him just in time to catch the other reaching toward his cup and plucking one of the cherries, off of his deflated whipped cream mountain, by the stem. “Hey.” He narrowed his eyes.

“You’ve got three,” Keith reasoned, bringing the cherry toward his lips. There was a glob of white still stuck to the bottom, ready to drip onto the table at any moment.

“Fine, but you’d better wipe that off first,” Lance huffed, pointing toward the cream. “Unless you want to suffer later, Mr. Lactose Intolerant.”

“Hmm, you’re right.” Keith looked at the cherry thoughtfully and then held it out toward Lance. “Mind doing the honors?”

Lance fought to keep his jaw from dropping. First Keith steals one of his cherries and then the jerk has the nerve to ask him to clean it for him?! Well, two could play at that game.

Instead of grabbing a napkin, Lance leaned forward and opened his mouth, curling his tongue around the cherry and lapping up the remaining whipped cream. Then he glanced up, ready to capture the fruit in his mouth – it was rightfully his, after all – but the moment he focused on Keith, all thoughts of stealing the treat fled from his mind. The other was staring down at him, his eyes dark and his pupils blown.

Lance had never seen Keith like that before. The look he was giving him made Lance’s stomach do a little flip as heat flooded his body.

He quickly pulled back, raking his teeth over his lower lip as he averted his gaze. “It’s clean now, _Your Majesty_ ,” he managed, knowing his face was probably just as red as the aforementioned fruit.

“Yeah,” Keith replied, voice a little gruff.

They finished their desserts in silence, the only noises being the crunching of Keith finishing off his cone and the hollow slurping as Lance reached the end of his milkshake. He stood up to throw away his empty cup, but Keith beat him to it, snatching it from his hands.

“Let me,” he said and then frowned into the cup. “You forgot the other cherries.”

“Oh, right.” Lance hadn’t really been focusing on the shake. Honestly, he’d been trying with all his might to forget the hungry expression that had been on Keith’s face and avoid watching the way the other devoured his ice cream. “Share them?”

Keith gave a slow smile. “You sure? After I stole your first one?”

“I don’t mind,” Lance replied, reaching into the cup and pinching one of the stems between his fingers. He’d gotten some leftover whipped cream on the side of his hand and lifted his arm up to lick it without thinking. It wasn’t until he turned his attention back on Keith that he realized his mistake. The other was blushing again, though this time his gaze was on the cup as he upturned it and caught the other cherry in the palm of his gloved hand.

Keith cleared his throat and then brought the cherry to his lips. But when he tried to pull it into his mouth, the stem broke in half and went along with it. He groaned, reaching in and pulling out the offensive, inedible piece.

Lance tried not to laugh, but he was fighting a losing battle. And when a giggle bubbled up his throat and escaped his lips, Keith shot him a confused and slightly offended look.

“Sorry,” Lance snorted before popping his cherry into his mouth, the stem detaching just as it should. He toyed with the bright red stalk, rolling it between his fingers. “You know,” he began, trying to ease the tension. “I can tie one of these in a knot using just my tongue.”

Keith gave an amused grunt. “Yeah, sure.”

“No, really!” Lance argued, but Keith was already walking back toward his bike. “Hey, where are you going?”

“C’mon,” Keith called. “Your victory evening isn’t over yet.”

Lance furrowed his brow, cocking his head to the side. He wasn’t sure what else Keith had planned, but the thought of getting back on the motorcycle so soon after his last ‘thrill ride’ had him a bit nervous.

“I promise to follow the speed limit.” Keith rolled his eyes before holding up the spare helmet.

Lance took it, a smile spreading across his face. “So, you admit you were speeding.”

At that, Keith just shook his head, but Lance caught the hint of a smile before the other put on his helmet.

 

As promised, Keith took it a bit slower. Lance still gripped him tightly, fearing he might fall off, but the ride was much less…extreme. And Lance felt comfortable enough to open his eyes and watch as the scenery flew by.

When the buildings were spaced farther and farther apart and the trees became too numerous, and whizzed by too fast to count, Lance closed his eyes again, resting his cheek on Keith’s back as the other sped forward, taking them to their next stop.

Lance wondered where they were going. But the wind was too loud for him to ask. Besides, he didn’t want to distract Keith while he was driving. The other leaned his whole body into the turns and Lance didn’t want to imagine what would happen if he angled his head to face him while going straight.

A few minutes later, Keith slowed to a stop. Lance recovered much more quickly this time, though he still waited for Keith to get down first, just so he had something to hold onto.

“Thanks,” he said, almost feeling shy as Keith helped him down. He hadn’t thought about the other’s blush the entire ride, but now, with Keith smiling at him, his cheeks tinted just the slightest bit pink from the effort of balancing two instead of one, the memories from the ‘cherry affair’ came flooding back. “So…” Lance moved on. “Where are we?”

He glanced around, taking it all in. They were at the edge of a forest and just ahead was an overlook with a railing. The metal was rusty and there was an old, pitted sign which read ‘Panoramic View.’

Vague memories of road trips with similar pit stops filled Lance’s mind as his eyes scanned the area. This particular tourist spot looked like it had fallen into disrepair and he wondered how Keith had come to find it.

“This place has the best view of the city,” Keith said.

“Why do I get the feeling that it’s no longer open to the public?” Lance asked just as he caught sight of a faded strip of police tape blowing in the wind, still attached to part of the rusted metal bar that jutted out from the cliff’s rocky edge.

“It’s a little off the beaten path,” Keith dodged the question. “But it’s worth it.” He held a hand out to Lance – a common occurrence now, it seemed – and led him toward the outcropping.

“Wow,” Lance breathed. It was nearing dusk and the lights were slowly flickering on hundreds of feet below, twinkling like stars. He absently noted that Keith’s hand was still holding his, the leather of his fingerless gloves rough against his softer palm.

“I come here to think,” Keith said.

“I thought you ride around to think,” Lance countered, the corner of his mouth quirking up.

“I ride to clear my head,” Keith corrected. “But when I can’t sleep or just need to mull things over…” he trailed off, shifting his hand in Lance’s so their fingers were laced.

Lance swallowed, finally tearing his gaze away from the view and looking down at their joined hands. “Keith-”

“I’ll admit, I had ulterior motives for taking you out tonight,” he said, his calloused thumb rubbing along one of Lance’s knuckles before dipping inside to trace his palm. “I’ve been told I’m not the best with words and that I’m no good with expressing myself.” His voice was suddenly much closer, his warm breath fanning over Lance’s cheek and stirring the shorter hairs just in front of his ear.

Lance giggled awkwardly and then cleared his throat. “That tickles…” He swallowed, focusing on the city below them. He didn’t know what Keith was getting at. Well, he had an idea. But it didn’t make much sense, considering he was with Shiro. So, a confession seemed a little farfetched.

Whatever Keith had been planning to say remained unsaid. Perhaps Lance had ruined the moment and he’d lost his nerve.

The silence stretched on until Lance, being the way he was, finally broke it. “I’m glad you transferred to the Garrison Zoo,” he said. He felt Keith’s eyes on him, probably widened in surprise or confusion at his statement that seemingly came out of nowhere.

“What?”

“I mean,” Lance continued. “When you first got here, I kind of hated you,” he explained and then shook his head. “No, that’s not right. I didn’t even really know you.” He chuckled. “I told you how I was a candidate for the behaviorist position, but that I didn’t get it, right?”

Keith nodded.

“Well,” Lance went on. “I sort of blamed you for that. I mean, I know it wasn’t your fault or anything and, to be honest, you deserve the spot.” He smiled. “You’re so good with the animals and you’re a really cool guy.” He took a deep breath. “So…I guess, what I’m trying to say is…” He wet his lips, still not meeting Keith’s gaze. “I’m glad I met you.”

Keith’s hand stilled in his, the soothing motion of his thumb coming to a stop.

“Anyway,” Lance kept talking, wanting to both fill the silence and cover up his embarrassing admittance. “You know, I’ve been wondering,” he began. “You, uh, don’t seem like a bad guy, so…uh…” he trailed off, chickening out.

“You’re wondering what I did to get expelled from my last internship?”

Lance bobbed his head, chewing on his bottom lip. “You don’t have to tell me…if you don’t want to,” he said, suddenly feeling guilty. It really wasn’t any of his business. It just didn’t seem to add up. Keith was really good at what he did. Maybe a little overzealous at times, but he wasn’t the delinquent Lance had assumed him to be.

“There’s not much to tell, really,” Keith said as he resumed tracing the creases of Lance’s palm with his thumb. He gave a slight tug as he sat down on the rocky ground, urging Lance to follow suit. “I worked as a behaviorist there, too,” he said, “but I wasn’t so great at following the rules.”

“A rule-breaker, huh?” Lance snickered, nudging Keith with his shoulder.

“Well, some rules don’t make a lot of sense,” Keith replied, eyes downcast. Lance wiped the smile from his face. “Like, you know how, at safari parks, if a guest falls out of the vehicle and into the crocodile exhibit, the driver has to speed off?”

Lance had heard of that before. Something about there being no chance of saving them and the owners not wanting the other zoo goers to witness their untimely and rather violent death.

“Holy crow…” he gaped. “Keith, did you wrestle a crocodile?” he asked, eyes wide.

Keith turned toward him, drawing his brows down and pulling a face. “What? No!” He shook his head. “I was just...” he sighed and gave a low chuckle. “No, I didn’t wrestle a crocodile.”

“Well, _excuse me_ for assuming,” Lance huffed and then squeezed Keith’s palm. “Sorry for interrupting,” he apologized, leaning closer. “So, what _did_ you do?”

“Okay, so, crocodiles aren’t the only dangerous animals out there,” he said. “For example, hippos may look cute and cuddly, but they’re actually pretty vicious, especially when they think they’re threatened.”

Lance wasn’t sure he liked where this was going, but his curiosity kept him from interrupting again.

And after a slight pause, Keith went on, “I was working the exhibit, helping one of the senior keepers put out their food, when a little girl fell over the railing.” Lance sucked in a breath. “Thankfully, she didn’t break anything, but she landed in their watering hole.” Keith breathed in deep through nose. “Protocol says that, in the event of a breach, the staff is supposed to remain where they are and wait until help arrives.”

Lance slowly nodded. “And I’m guessing you broke protocol.”

“She was terrified and her mother was screaming,” Keith said. “I couldn’t just wait around. Hippos are extremely territorial.” He sighed. “So, I waded into the watering hole and starting splashing, making as much noise as I could to get their attention.”

He was afraid to ask, but Lance posed the question, anyway. “Was the little girl…?”

“She was fine,” Keith answered. “The rescue team got to her in time and pulled her out.”

Lance released the breath he’d been holding. Then he frowned. “And they kicked you out for that?” He frowned. “You saved her life! You’re a hero!”

“The higher ups didn’t see it that way.” Keith shrugged. “Said I caused a scene and that the girl would have been fine if I’d just acted accordingly.” He stared straight forward. “They told me I handled the situation poorly and caused the hippopotamuses undue stress and trauma.”

“But that’s not fair!” Lance complained.

“They seemed to think it was,” Keith said. “They even had the nerve to tell me…” he cut himself off, gritting his teeth.

“What?” Lance urged, moving closer and resting his other hand on Keith’s knee.

“They were done with me,” he said, voice barely above a whisper. “Said I’d gotten away with enough and that they didn’t owe my dad any more favors.” Keith was silent after that and Lance knew better than to ask for more. He’d already shared enough.

“It sounds like they were just looking for an excuse to get rid of you,” Lance said, angry at these horrible people he’d never met. So what if he broke a rule? He’d saved someone’s life!

“Yeah, probably,” Keith agreed. “Thankfully, Shiro heard what happened and talked to Dr. Holt about me transferring here.” He chewed on his lip. “I didn’t want to come at first. I was just so…so angry and frustrated after all that.” Then he looked up at Lance. “But I’m really glad I did.”

Lance’s breath caught in his throat. Keith looked so vulnerable. So open. His expression was softer than Lance had ever seen it.

“Well, it’s that other zoo’s loss, isn’t it?” he said, lifting his hand from Keith’s knee to brush his bangs to the side. “Because now we get to have you.”

Keith blinked up at him then, his dark eyes suddenly clouded, filled with a mixture of emotions that Lance couldn’t quite read. Then there was a gloved hand on the side of Lance’s face, cupping his cheek as those eyes drew closer.

Lance could feel Keith’s breath against his lips. And he knew that, if he only moved the slightest bit forward, they’d be touching. But he hesitated. As much as he wanted to kiss Keith right then and there, something was stopping him.

“Shiro,” Lance managed and Keith pulled back, a look of shock and pain crossing over his face. “No!” Lance shook his head, suddenly realizing what the other must have thought. He gripped his hand before Keith could slip away. “Keith, no, I…”

“You want Shiro,” Keith said flatly.

“No. I mean, yes. I mean…” Lance shook his head, confused. “Don’t _you_ want Shiro?”

Keith’s expression hardened for a moment, his eyes searching Lance’s. But he didn’t speak.

“Keith, listen,” Lance continued. “I thought you were going to kiss me and-”

“I was,” he answered simply.

“Oh.” Lance’s face grew warm as he went on. “So, I, uh…I stopped you because…” He trailed off. “…aren’t you with Shiro?”

For a few tense seconds, neither said a word. Then, uncharacteristically, Keith broke the silence. “No, I’m not.” He ran a hand through his hair, his other still holding Lance’s.

“Keith,” he breathed. “I…saw you.” And at the curious look he received in response, Lance elaborated. “I saw you and Shiro kissing last night.”

Realization dawned on the other man. Lance could practically see the wheels in his head begin to turn. “That’s why you were acting like that today.”

“Yeah.” Lance ducked his head sheepishly. “So…you’re not together?”

Keith huffed. “He’s being stubborn about this whole thing,” he said. “It’s like after the accident all over again.”

Lance opened his mouth, ready to ask, but then he shut it. It wasn’t any of his business.

“I won’t speak for Shiro,” Keith continued, his hand tightening its hold on Lance’s and his dark eyes boring into him. “But…I want you.” He pressed closer, bumping their foreheads lightly. Then he groaned. “Damn it. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”

Lance chuckled, threading his fingers in Keith’s hair and leaning into his touch. “You had something more romantic planned, did you?” he asked, but the other just scoffed, causing Lance to laugh louder. “Oh, come now, Keith. As far as confessions go, this isn’t the worst,” he said. “You treated me to a milkshake and then took me out to a scenic little spot where we could be alone…”

“You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”

“Not at all,” Lance said, tone serious. “I don’t know everything that’s going on, but I do know one thing.” He breathed deep, his heart thundering in his chest. “I want you, too.”

Keith moved lightning fast, releasing Lance’s hand so he could cradle his head. Lance let out a squeak as Keith pressed their lips together. It was awkward at first, and a little too forceful, but when they broke apart, both gasping with eyes half-lidded, it became easier, more comfortable. So, Keith kissed him again. And again. And again.

Lance lost count of how many kisses they’d shared. But he did notice when the sun started to set in the distance. “We should…go…” he murmured against Keith’s lips between kisses.

“Don’t…wanna…” Keith argued, one hand on the back of Lance’s neck and then other traveling down his side to rest on his hip.

“Some of us have to work breakfast in the morning,” Lance said once he finally managed to pull far enough away to avoid Keith capturing his lips again.

Annoyed, but unable to argue, Keith conceded. “Fine,” he said. “But this-” he swooped in and kissed Lance one last time, letting it linger before pulling back. “-isn’t over.”

Lance’s eyes fluttered open – when had he shut them? – and he smiled, his lips a little sore and probably red from all the attention Keith had been giving them. “Guess you’ll have to take me out on another date, then.”

Keith, who had already started making his way back to his motorcycle, turned around, flashing an almost mischievous smile. “I guess I will.”

Despite his initiation of that little bout of flirting, Lance flushed at the prospect of another date with Keith. And the fact that they’d just both referred and agreed to this particular outing being classified as a ‘date.’ It made his heart flutter and his stomach twist in a rather pleasant way.

As Lance walked over to join Keith by the bike, something buzzed in his back pocket. It was then that he realized he’d completely forgotten to take his phone off of silent after he left work to take his mom over to see the lions.

He quickly pulled his cell out and winced at the amazing amount of messages and calls he’d missed. A few were from his mother, just texting to let him know she’d arrived home safely. There was one from Pidge; something about being prepared when he got back – whatever that meant. And about fifteen from Hunk.

_‘Hey, buddy? Everything okay today?’_

_‘I know last night was rough.’_

_‘If you need to get out of there, just text S.O.S. ‘kay?’_

_‘You’ve been gone a long time, man. Everything all right?’_

They continued on like that.

Lance checked his watch. He’d left the restaurant almost four hours earlier and never checked in. Hunk was probably out of his mind with worry. Especially after last night. So, Lance quickly typed a reply, explaining about his phone being on vibrate and letting Hunk know that he was on his way back and that he had ‘big news.’

“Everything okay?” said ‘big news’ asked, already seated on the motorcycle.

“Yeah,” Lance replied before slipping his phone back into his pocket. “I was just letting Hunk know that we were heading back now.”

“Oh.” Keith looked pensive for a moment before he asked, “Are you and Hunk…?”

Lance blinked in confusion, not understanding the question. And when Keith let it hang, he caught on. “Hunk and me? What? No!” He laughed. “I mean, sure, he’s a handsome guy and a terrific cook, as you know,” he interrupted himself to chuckle, “but we’re not together or anything.”

Keith released a breath and then smiled. It was that same smile that was slowly but surely becoming more and more common. And Lance loved it.

“Were you worried, Keith?” Lance teased as he put on the loaner helmet and mounted the bike. He leaned forward, whispering just under Keith’s helmet. “Don’t like to share?”

Keith snorted and turned to face him. “I don’t mind sharing,” he said. “I just wasn’t sure how many of us you were willing to handle.” Lance opened his mouth to ask just what Keith meant by that, but then they were off, the wind stealing his question away as Keith sped down the dirt road and back to the highway.

 

It was dark when they arrived back at the zoo’s parking lot. Lance hadn’t realized how far they’d traveled – probably because he’d spent most of the trip with his eyes closed on the way there – but it must have been quite a distance.

Keith pulled into his usual spot and set down the kickstand. He removed his helmet, but didn’t get off the bike just yet. He was staring straight forward. So, Lance, curious as to what was keeping him, peeked around Keith and spotted someone standing with his arms crossed over his chest.

It was Shiro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Busted." >:3c


	10. Confession (Part II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance hears the other side of the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!! Looks like just a plain ol' regular, on-time update tonight~  
> I should mention that the Minor Character Death (off-page) tag is for this chapter. It's off-page because it's a flashback, but just so you know.
> 
> Beta'd, as always, by the fantabulous Alex! ♥  
> Please enjoy!!

The word ‘busted’ echoed in Lance’s head, but Keith didn’t seem to think they were in any trouble. He just nodded toward the older man and dismounted. “You missed milkshakes,” he said.

“You two were out for a while,” Shiro returned. He didn’t sound angry, but there was something about his tone that was off-putting. Maybe it was because Lance already felt like a high school kid being caught trying to sneak back into the house after curfew, but a heavy tension seemed to hang in the air.

“Something we can do for you?” Keith asked. Even _he_ sounded different. He never usually spoke to Shiro in such a way. It wasn’t disrespectful, but it lacked its usual…something. Lance couldn’t put his finger on it.

“I was hoping to speak with Lance,” Shiro said, his gaze flicking over to him. “If that’s all right.”

Lance had almost forgotten. He’d acted like an angsty teen nearly all day and he’d even snapped at Shiro. But now that the kiss had been cleared up – more or less – he could explain himself. Not that he particularly wanted to divulge that he’d felt left out.

“Fine by me,” Keith answered for him before extending his hand to help Lance down. Lance could openly admit that he liked this now. Because it wasn’t his rival and colleague who was assisting him, but his… Wait, actually. Were they dating now? They’d gone on a date and planned on going on another. Plus, they’d kissed an awful lot on that overlook. “Lance?” Keith pulled him from his thoughts.

“Right. Sorry.” He flushed, his entire face hot as he took Keith’s hand and swung his leg over and off the bike. “I do owe Shiro an explanation,” he said, but Keith was no longer looking at him.

“Remember what we talked about,” he said to Shiro.

Lance looked between them, feeling that tension again. But before he could speak up, Keith turned toward him, cupping his jaw and gently tilting his chin.

“Sorry I can’t walk you to your room tonight,” he whispered and then pressed their lips together in a chaste kiss. Lance was shocked that he would do such a thing in front of Shiro, but Keith’s mouth was so warm against his, he found himself too distracted to be embarrassed. A moment later, Keith pulled back and smirked. “See you tomorrow.” Then he leaned against his bike, shooting Shiro a knowing, almost challenging look.

Lance turned just in time to see Shiro unclench his jaw, the tight muscle relaxing as he looked away from Keith and met Lance’s gaze. His face softened and Lance’s heart skipped a beat without his permission. He’d literally just kissed Keith. He needed to calm himself.

He took a moment to do just that before he stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked over to where Shiro stood. He turned to wave goodbye to Keith, but the other was already on his bike, revving the engine and speeding off, either heading home or going for a drive. Lance wasn’t sure.

Shiro cleared his throat and caught his attention. “Are you cold?”

Lance hadn’t thought about it, since he’d been pressed up against Keith for the ride home. But now that he was standing there in just his work khakis and a t-shirt, the cool night air was a bit too much. He nodded and jumped when something soft and warm suddenly appeared around his shoulders. It was Shiro’s jacket.

“Thank you,” he said, sticking his arms into the too-long sleeves and zipping it up. It still carried Shiro’s body heat and the scent of the older man’s cologne. It reminded Lance of the first time he had gone with him to the lion enclosure, when they’d taken a late night tour of the zoo. His chest ached at the memory. It felt like that was so long ago. Like everything had changed.

“Lance, we need to talk,” Shiro began, his tone a little less authoritative than Lance would have imagined it’d be.

“I know,” he sighed. “I was acting really immature today.” He took a deep breath. “I should probably start off by telling you why, huh?”

Shiro raised his brows, probably surprised that Lance – who’d been so ornery earlier – was now easily admitting that he was in the wrong and willing to discuss it. “If you’re comfortable sharing,” he said.

“I was upset because…” Lance bit his lower lip and toyed with the length of sleeve that extended past his fingertips. “Because I saw you and Keith kiss last night.” He said it quickly, averting his gaze and waiting for Shiro to either confirm or deny what Keith had said earlier.

“You…you did?” Shiro sounded a little panicked, which wasn’t at all how Lance expected him to react. He always seemed so cool and unflappable. Then again, Lance had mentally put him on a pedestal so high, nothing could have touched him. “Lance, we weren’t…we’re not-”

“I know,” Lance interrupted, finally looking back up at him. “Keith told me.”

Shiro was silent for a moment, his jaw tight again and his lips drawn in a thin line. “What did he tell you…exactly?” he questioned, once again throwing Lance for a loop.

“That you’re not together and that you’re stubborn.” Lance added the last part, hoping to ease the building tension a bit. “I thought he wasn’t interested in me at all and then…” He cleared his throat. “Well, you saw.” He was referring to the kiss Keith had planted on him before riding off, which, judging by the twitch in the taut muscle of his jaw, Shiro definitely understood. Lance gave a little laugh. “I think he might still like you, though.”

At that, Shiro sighed, the strain on his features seeming to melt away. “Let’s go for a walk.”

Lance regarded him, noting the way he worked his jaw, as if trying to form the words he wanted to say, but not liking how any of them were coming out. “Sure,” Lance replied and Shiro placed a hand on the small of his back and led him toward the gates.

 

Despite Shiro saying that they needed to talk, he was quiet while they used their IDs to gain access and remained so for the first hundred feet of their walk. It wasn’t until they reached the old Dolphin Pavilion that he finally spoke.

“Keith said that I’m stubborn and he’s right,” he said. “But it’s more than that.” He glanced up at the sky as they continued down the cobblestone path. “I’m a coward.”

Lance had a hard time believing that. Shiro walked into the cages of dangerous animals all the time. He’d been on several safaris, studying various animals in the wild and living among them in their habitats. He was, by definition, very brave.

But Shiro didn’t seem to think so.

“Why do you say that?” Lance asked.

“Keith doesn’t hesitate when he makes a decision,” Shiro answered.

Keith again. Lance wondered if maybe Shiro was regretting rejecting Keith the night before. Something in his chest twisted painfully at the thought. Sure, Keith said he wanted him, but if Shiro was still on the table, he was certain the other would drop him in a heartbeat.

“I hesitate. Take too long,” Shiro went on, oblivious to Lance’s inner turmoil. “I’m overly cautious and I don’t open up.” He was still staring up at the stars. “I’m afraid of hurting others.” He finally looked down, lifting up his prosthetic hand and making a fist. “And of getting hurt, myself.”

Lance remembered what Keith had said earlier. About how Shiro was acting like he did after his accident. Those two knew so much about each other and Lance… He didn’t. He had no idea what Shiro was feeling or what he was going through.

“Hey.” Lance stepped closer, placing his hand on top of Shiro’s clenched fist. “Nobody’s perfect.” He looked up, giving him a reassuring smile. “Not even the world’s youngest, brightest, and most handsome animal behaviorist.”

Shiro gaped at him, his cheeks turning the loveliest shade of pink under the light of the streetlamp. “You don’t…I mean, you’re not talking about-”

“Yes. I mean you.” Lance snorted, carefully giving his prosthetic hand a squeeze. “Who else?” He felt a bit more comfortable now. It was easier to talk when it was to Shiro the person, as opposed to Shiro the Hero. “And it’s okay to be cautious.” He was chewing on his poor, abused bottom lip again. “Especially if you want to avoid getting hurt.” He released his hand and continued walking.

“Lance.” Shiro caught up quickly. “What else did Keith tell you?”

“He told me why he was expelled from the other program,” Lance answered and then his face and neck grew warm. “We, uh…didn’t do a lot of talking after that.”

Beside him, Shiro stiffened, his steps faltering for a moment. “I see…”

Lance regretted saying anything. Keith had already kissed him in front of Shiro and now Lance was all but advertising their make out session on the cliff. He was rubbing salt in Shiro’s wound when it was so obvious that he wasn’t over Keith.

“Hey, Shiro. I’m sor-”

“Lance, I never told you how I got this, did I?” Shiro interrupted, holding up his prosthetic and flexing the joints. Lance shook his head. “Did you know that Keith’s father and I used to work together?” Again, Lance gave his head a shake. “It was the summer before I started college, about ten years ago,

“I was studying biology and had taken on an internship at the zoo where Keith’s father used to work. The very same one that forced Keith to quit their program.” He took a deep breath and then continued. “I was assigned to Keith’s father and began my work right away. He didn’t always do everything by the book, but he was a good teacher and I learned a lot from him.

“We ended up going on a lot of trips together, visiting other facilities and even taking tours of nature preserves and conservation areas.” He smiled fondly at the memory. “And because he was a single father, he brought Keith along.

“Keith loved animals just as much as his dad. He didn’t talk a lot back then, but if you brought up an animal, he could go on for hours, talking behaviors and habitats and nutrition.” He chuckled. “He was a pretty passionate kid.”

“You make it sound like you’re so much older,” Lance finally interrupted. “You’re not, by the way.”

“I know, I know,” Shiro conceded. “Anyway, we worked together for a few years. And, once I graduated, I began to work at the zoo fulltime.

“Keith’s father and I were even assigned to oversee the development of the nocturnal animal exhibit,” he paused. “It was a really big deal because it was the first completely new attraction the zoo had gotten in years. It was interactive and very high-tech.”

“Sounds cool,” Lance mused.

“It was,” Shiro confirmed. “But one night, a few days before the grand opening, I was coming in to check on the animals, when I spotted Keith outside of the building, screaming.”

Something cold and heavy began filling Lance’s stomach.

“As I got closer, I realized what was going on. There was smoke billowing out of the top of the building.” He bit his lip. “And then Keith told me that his father had gone inside to try and save the animals.” Shiro had started to shake and Lance placed a hand on his arm.

“Shiro…”

“You see, Keith couldn’t get in. The doors were locked and only our passes would release the bolt,” Shiro explained. “I told him to wait outside, something I think he’s still upset about even now, and I went in after his father.

“The exhibit was dimly lit to begin with, but the smoke made it even harder to see,” he said. “Thankfully, we’d only received a few animals, so I knew exactly where Mr. Kogane was.”

Shiro looked pale and Lance, gently as he could, led him over to a bench. Once they were seated, Shiro continued recounting how he and Keith’s dad had tried to get the animals to the exit.

“A short in the wiring. That’s what they said it was,” Shiro breathed, looking down at his hands. “The fire spread through the entire building and that’s why the ceiling collapsed.”

Lance rubbed Shiro’s shoulder in soothing circles, knowing how difficult this must have been for him. But he didn’t interrupt. He wanted to let him finish.

“It’s a little fuzzy after that, but Keith was there,” he said. “He’d broken a window and gotten inside. He was crying, one of the few times I’ve seen him cry, actually. And yelling something.

“I remember watching his retreating back, the bright red color of his jacket illuminated by the flames. He was carrying the cages. And then I felt someone lifting me up and heard a gravelly, hacking voice in my ear.

“Keith’s father saved the animals _and_ my life that day,” he said. “If it weren’t for him…” he trailed off, turning his prosthetic over, as if studying it. Then he shook his head. “I woke up in the hospital a few days later. Keith was the first person to visit. I asked about his father and…” he paused, his brows knitting together. “He didn’t make it.”

Lance brought a hand to his mouth. That was horrible. He’d given everything to save those animals and Shiro, too. Now he understood why Keith had been upset when the other zoo had mentioned his dad. They were at fault.

“I’m sorry,” Shiro said after a moment. “That’s probably much more than you wanted to hear.” He glanced up, the pained crease in his brow smoothing out. “I’ve never told anyone that story before.”

Lance reached out, wrapping an arm around Shiro’s middle and pulling him closer on the bench. He brought a hand up and lowered Shiro’s head to his shoulder. “I’m happy you felt comfortable enough to share that with me,” he breathed, smoothing Shiro’s short hair.

“You’re a good listener,” Shiro said, his eyes slipping closed.

Lance chuckled. “So, I’ve been told.” He scratched just behind Shiro’s ear and then smoothed his fingers down the side of his neck. “You may not believe it, but I’m usually the one everyone goes to with gossip,” he said. “People tell me everything. And I mean _everything_ ,” he snorted.

“I believe it,” Shiro replied, arching into Lance’s touch. “You give off a very trustworthy aura.”

Lance’s hand stilled on the nape of Shiro’s neck. “Oh?”

“Mhm.” Shiro turned and buried his nose in the crook of Lance’s neck, inhaling deeply. “And while we’re on the subject of sharing,” he began, his face and breath amazingly warm against Lance’s skin. “I’ve been meaning to tell you something.”

Lance hummed in response, unsure what to say.

“I know Keith beat me to the confession, but…” Shiro swallowed and so did Lance. “I…like you, Lance. A lot.” Again, Lance kept his mouth shut, afraid of what would come out if he opened it. “At first, you were just the cute guy who worked in the restaurant,” Shiro said, shifting a bit so the side of his face rested on Lance’s shoulder. “I liked going to see you every day. You seemed so positive and friendly.”

“You…” Lance began, unable to keep this particular thought to himself. “You noticed me…back then?”

Shiro chuckled, his breath fanning over Lance’s collarbones. “Did you honestly think I brought my packed lunch into the restaurant every day because of the ambiance?”

Lance struggled to swallow around the lump in his throat. Shiro. _The_ Takashi Shirogane had come to where he worked because he thought Lance was cute. It was unbelievable. Had Shiro noticed the way he watched him? Oh, that thought was embarrassing.

“And then Matt sent me in for coffee that night,” Shiro continued, once again failing to notice Lance’s internal freak out. “I was so nervous,” Shiro admitted. “But I made it through without spilling on myself or you. And Matt teased me relentlessly after that.”

“Hold on.” Lance pulled away just far enough to look down at the man in his arms. “Are you seriously saying that you had a crush on me?” He raised his brows. “The cafeteria guy?”

Shiro sat up, the tips of his ears bright pink. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

Whoa. Lance needed some time to process that information. Two confessions? In one day? At least Keith’s he’d sort of seen coming. Kind of. Well, in hindsight, he would’ve had to be blind not to notice, anyway. But Shiro? And since before they’d ever even talked? Before Shiro even knew his name?

“Lance, you’ve really got to give yourself more credit,” Shiro interrupted his thoughts. “You’re quite a catch,” he offered, ducking his head and peering up at him through his fringe.

“Sorry, it’s just…a lot to take in,” Lance said. “I mean, first Keith and-” He realized his mistake the moment the other intern’s name passed his lips. Shiro stiffened beside him. “I’m sorry,” Lance blurted quickly. “I ruined it.”

Shiro shook his head, bringing a hand up to comb his fingers through Lance’s hair. “You didn’t ruin anything,” he promised. “I knew how Keith felt. He, uh…even gave me the chance to tell you first.”

“He did?” Lance asked, a little surprised. It wasn’t like he thought Keith was a bad guy or anything, but that was pretty selfless. Lance didn’t think he could do the same, if the situation was reversed.

“It’s a bit complicated, but anyway.” Shiro shook his head. “I feel better now that I’ve told you. And nothing has to change between us,” he swore. “If tomorrow you want to go back to just being my intern, that’s completely fine.”

“Are you kidding?” Lance pulled a face and reached up to grip Shiro’s wrist, stilling his hand. “You tell me that you’ve had feelings for me since the beginning of the summer and then just expect me to return to work, business as usual?”

Shiro gave an awkward little shrug. “I suppose…?”

“Well, tough luck, Mr. Shirogane, cuz it ain’t happenin’,” Lance said firmly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Keith may have confessed first, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to ignore you.”

“What?” Shiro blinked.

“And, just so you know, because _apparently_ it wasn’t as glaringly obvious to you as it was to Pidge and Hunk-” he took a deep breath “-I’ve liked you way longer than you’ve liked me, so…we’re even.”

“You…have?” Shiro looked shocked, like it was completely out of the realm of possibility for Lance to have a crush on him. Shiro, the epitome of strength, intelligence, and good looks.

“My mom recognized you from your pictures on magazines…in my room,” he offered, delighting in the way Shiro’s cheeks tinted again, even while Lance’s own were blazing hot. “But it’s not just some long-time infatuation with my hero,” Lance continued. “At first, sure, but…the more we worked together, the less of an idol you became.”

Shiro winced at that, but Lance elaborated.

“I don’t mean it in a bad way,” he explained. “You were untouchable before.” He looked down at his lap, knowing how red his face must be. “And now you’re telling me that you like me? I mean… How am I supposed to handle that, huh?”

There were fingers on his chin then, gently tilting Lance’s face up. “Keith was right,” Shiro said, his nose nearly brushing Lance’s. “I’ve been an idiot.” And then they were kissing.

Shiro’s lips were warm and a little chapped, but felt oh so pleasant. He was gentle, but firm, slotting their mouths together and moving his hands to pull Lance closer, his thumbs brushing against the underside of his jaw.

The kiss was sweet, almost innocent, and it made Lance’s blood sing. It conveyed feelings of longing and was no less passionate than Keith’s, though significantly less aggressive. And then Lance froze.

Keith. 

How could he just let Shiro kiss him like this when he was all but dating Keith now?

He tore his lips away, pressing his palms against Shiro’s chest to distance himself as he fought to catch his breath.

“Lance?” Shiro questioned, a certain timidity to his tone. And something in Lance’s expression must have given him away because, the next moment, Shiro was apologizing. “I’m so sorry,” he breathed, lowering his hands and returning them to his lap. “I should have asked first…”

Lance snapped his head up. Did Shiro think he hadn’t wanted to kiss him? He needed to set the record straight fast before there were any more misunderstandings. “No, no,” Lance interjected. “You were fine. I…really, _really_ wanted to kiss you.”

“Then…?” Shiro queried, hesitantly reaching out to place a hand on Lance’s knee.

“Keith,” he answered, his cheeks burning with shame. Lance was nothing if not faithful and if Keith wanted to date him, to be a couple, he needed to confirm that first before he went off kissing someone else. Even if it was the man he’d been pining for all summer.

“Oh,” was all Shiro said in reply. He didn’t sound upset or even the slightest bit guilty. And Lance found that strange.

“Oh?” he echoed.

“I’m guessing that Keith didn’t tell you, then.” Shiro had that fond, patient little smile he got whenever Keith did something ridiculous, like crawl into a pregnant lioness’s den. “What did he say when he confessed?”

“Not much.” Lance shrugged. “I mean, he said he, uh, wanted me and then we sort of agreed the feeling was mutual and…um…” he trailed of, his face growing hot again. Then they’d made out like teenagers on the rocky cliff’s edge.

Shiro laughed at that, obviously catching on. “I guess he was leaving the rest to me, huh?”

Curious and a little annoyed at being left out of the loop, Lance cocked his head to the side and leaned closer. “Leaving the rest of what?”

“Lance, I…” Shiro began, placing his hands on Lance’s shoulders. “One of the main reasons I was…hesitant to admit my feelings was because you work directly under me now,” he explained. “Things were fine when you were the pretty boy on the other side of the counter, but then I realized how much you knew and how passionate you were about animals and…” He sighed. “I had to make a choice,” he said. “Either continue flirting with you and ask you out on a date…or be professional and lead by example.

“It was obvious that you belonged in the behaviorist program and that meant I’d be your direct report and…well, you get the idea.”

“No fraternizing with the interns, huh?” Lance offered.

“It’s an unwritten rule,” Shiro said. “Though, Keith seems to think it’s a load of, well, I’d rather not repeat what he said,” he added with a laugh.

“So, Keith liked you and you told him ‘no’ because of your positions,” Lance guessed and Shiro nodded. “And you liked me and figured it was okay until I was suddenly put in your charge?”

“Yes, but Keith made an excellent point last night,” Shiro said.

“Which was?” Lance quirked a brow.

“Who cares?” Shiro snorted. “His words, as I’m sure you gathered.” He shook his head, a smile on his lips. “I’m really just helping Dr. Holt and neither of you truly work for me, so it’s not as taboo as I’d originally been thinking.”

“Shiro.” Lance placed his hands atop Shiro’s on his shoulders. “It’s not taboo at all.”

“That’s what Keith said, too,” he sighed. “The two of you think so alike. I’ll be completely helpless if you choose to team up and use your powers for evil.”

“For evil?” Lance repeated with a snort. “Real nice, Shiro.” Then he continued. “Okay, so that explains part of it, but what about Keith? I mean, he confessed to me and we didn’t really define what we are, but…”

“Keith wants to date you,” Shiro said. “There’s no question about that.” He released Lance’s shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck. “But he also wants to date me.”

Lance sat there for a moment, trying to wrap his head around that idea. Keith wanted him, okay. Shiro wanted him, got it. Keith wanted Shiro, fair enough. But how was that going to work?

“I’m not opposed to the idea,” Shiro went on. “I like you, Lance. Very much. And Keith…” There was that fond little smile again. “He’s got a special place in my heart.”

“So…just what are you proposing we do?” Lance asked, confused and excited all at once.

“If you don’t mind.” Shiro reached up and brushed his knuckles along Lance’s jaw. “Would you be interested in dating both of us?”

Now Lance’s mind was reeling. He went from being single to having two men asking for him in less than an hour. But he recovered quickly, opening his mouth to clarify. “So, you…both want to date me?”

“Yes,” Shiro replied.

“So, Keith would be my boyfriend…and you would be my boyfriend…and you and Keith would be boyfriends…?”

“And you would be ours,” Shiro finished for him. “It wouldn’t be us sharing you, so much as it would be the three of us. Together.” He blushed a bit at that. “I know it’s a little unconventional, but we both like you very much. And I don’t expect an answer tonight. I get that it’s a lot to take in.”

That was the understatement of the year.

“Just.” Shiro ran his fingers through Lance’s hair again. “Promise me you’ll think about it?” He gave him a soft, almost sad little smile then and Lance melted. He raised his hand and grabbed Shiro’s, turning to nuzzle his palm.

“What’s to think about?” Lance whispered. “You both want me and I want you both.” He opened his eyes and grinned. “Seems pretty simple to me.”

Just then, Lance’s phone went off – he’d remembered to take it off silent after missing so many messages from Hunk – and, when he pulled it out of his pocket, he wasn’t surprised to see an alert from said childhood friend.

_‘Are you back yet? Pidge said Shiro wanted to talk to you.’_

Lance sent Shiro an apologetic glance before typing a reply. _‘Yes. I’m with him now. Be back in 5.’_ Then he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “I hate to cut this short, but I do have to work breakfast in the morning.”

“Oh.” Shiro shot up from the bench and extended his hand out for Lance to take. “Then we’d better get you back to the dorms.”

“Why, is my new boyfriend offering to escort me?” Lance asked, batting his eyelashes and placing his hand in Shiro’s palm.

Rosy-cheeked and grinning, Shiro lifted Lance’s hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles. “If you’ll allow it.” Oh, of course, Shiro was chivalrous. Lance should have known. It was going to take some getting used to, but Lance had a feeling he could grow to handle it.

“Lead the way,” he replied, heat radiating off of his body and making the borrowed jacket he wore just a little too warm. But Shiro’s hand in his was warmer still. And a few minutes later, after Shiro had dropped him off and bid him goodnight with a sweet little peck on the cheek, Lance could still feel the other’s warmth as he walked up the steps and to his dorm room.

Hunk was waiting when he opened the door.

“Dude, where have you been? And what’s this ‘big news’ you were talking about?” Hunk paused, looking at the oversized – and, by now, familiar – jacket Lance was wearing. “What happened? I thought you were out with Keith?”

“I was,” Lance replied, gliding forward like he was floating on a cloud, before he plopped down onto his bed and stared, droopy eyed up at the ceiling.

“But Pidge told me you were with Shiro,” Hunk countered, peeking down at him and eclipsing the light from the fluorescents. He cocked his head to the side and then smiled. “I know that look.”

“What look?” Lance asked innocently, puckering his lips and playfully averting his gaze.

“You can’t hide it from me.” There was a dip in the mattress as Hunk sat down beside him. “So, are you going to tell me what happened? Or am I going to make horribly inaccurate guesses until you get sick of me and spill the beans?”

“If I tell you, will you let me sleep through our early shift tomorrow?” Lance glanced back at him just in time to see Hunk shake his head.

“Nope. No can do,” he replied.

“Fine,” Lance gave in. He wanted to tell Hunk, anyway. Heck, he wanted to scream it from the rooftops. “He kissed me.”

“Who?” Hunk raised his brows. “Shiro?”

Lance bit his lower lip, but didn’t answer.

Hunk looked puzzled. “Keith?”

He wanted to tease him some more, but the truth was bubbling up inside him, ready to burst forth from his lips. He cracked a giddy little smile. “Both of them.” And at Hunk’s surprised expression, Lance told him everything, starting with Keith’s impromptu milkshake date and ending with Shiro’s goodnight kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dreams really do come true. But...uh...there are a few more chapters, huh?


	11. Dinner Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance enjoys an evening out with his boyfriends. And kisses. Lots of kisses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me start out by saying that I love this chapter. A lot. And Shiro's car. Shiro's car is my favorite, haha.
> 
> Beta'd, as always, by the wonderful and talented Alex, without whom, this story would still be just an idea I had months ago XD  
> Please enjoy~

Lance slept amazingly well that night, his dreams filled with blushing faces and soft, warm lips. And when his alarm went off just before dawn, he wasn’t the least bit grumpy. He sang in the shower – much to the chagrin of their neighbors, he was sure – and took extra care getting himself ready.

He normally tried to look his best, but today he wanted to glow. And, boy, he sure felt like he was. He’d even made it through the entire set up and breakdown of the interns’ breakfast buffet with a big, dopey grin on his face.

Once the hustle and bustle slowed down and he was at his usual spot at the cash register, he noticed someone sidle up to him. “Mornin’, Pidge,” he sighed dreamily. They hadn’t managed to sneak up on him today and, judging by their indignant little huff, that bugged them.

“I don’t get you.” Pidge studied him. “You were all mopey yesterday and now you’re on cloud nine.” They frowned. “What gives?”

“Well, they’re called human emotions,” Lance answered. “I’m sorry that whatever lab created you forgot to program them into your—OUCH!” He winced when they kicked him in the shin, hard. “ _Pidge_ , these legs are my livelihood!” he complained.

“I thought that was your face!” Hunk shouted from the back.

“Oh.” He turned toward the order window. “You’re right. Thanks, man.”

“Seriously,” Pidge crossed their arms over their chest. “What’s your deal today?”

“I’m surprised you don’t know,” Lance returned. “I mean, you always seem to know everyone’s goings-on around here.” He gave a wide grin at the other’s look of mild irritation. “It’s just eating you up that I know something you don’t, isn’t it?”

“I’ll give you three seconds and then I’m going to ask Hunk,” Pidge threatened.

“Aww, don’t be a sore-”

“One.”

“Pidgey…”

“Two.”

“Fine!” He chuckled, though the other looked far from amused. “So, Keith and I are dating,” he said, absolutely loving the expression of pure, unadulterated shock that appeared on Pidge’s face.

“But what about-”

“Shiro?” Lance finished for them. “Yeah, that’s the thing.” He cleared his throat and puffed his chest out. “We’re dating, too.”

Pidge just blinked, their brows shooting up to their hairline, before they adjusted their glasses and fixed Lance with a look. “You know, when I said it was okay to like both of them, that wasn’t exactly what I meant.” But then they smiled wide. “But it’s about time! I want all the details.”

Thankfully, it was a slow day, so Lance was able to fill them in. Hunk, who’d already heard the tale, still joined them out front.

“So, you’re together, all three of you,” Pidge mused. “And here I thought Shiro would never make a move on one of his interns.” They shook their head. “Looks like I had him pegged all wrong.”

“That was part of the reason he was hesitating,” Lance said. “But Keith, well, you know how he can get.” He snorted. “Anyway, that reminds me. That little jerk knew the whole time and didn’t say anything.”

“Maybe he didn’t want to spring the idea of a polyamorous relationship on you out of the blue,” Hunk offered and then gave a little pout at Pidge and Lance’s wide-eyed stares. “What? I’m familiar with the term.”

“Well, Hunk’s surprisingly extensive romantic vocabulary aside,” Lance began. “I’m still going to give him grief about it.”

“Ah, you’re off to a great start,” Pidge joked. “I can feel the love.” A second later, the door swung open. “Perfect timing,” Pidge continued. “Here come your boyfriends now.”

“They’re not my-” but Lance stopped himself. Pidge wasn’t teasing him. They were right. And when he turned to see Shiro and Keith walking over, both with soft, affectionate smiles on their faces, well, Lance’s heart fluttered and his stomach gave a pleasurable little twist.

He offered them a shy half wave as they approached, but by the time they reached the counter, he remembered his plan. “Hey, Shiro,” he greeted demurely.

“Good afternoon, Lance,” Shiro returned, a light blush on his cheeks. He was so handsome, it was hardly fair. And he was Lance’s. Keith’s, too, of course. But the thought that this man liked Lance – wanted _to be with him_ – it was just too much.

Keith cleared his throat, pulling him from his thoughts. Lance spared him a glance. “Keith.”

Shiro chuckled, already picking up on what Lance was doing. Keith, on the other hand, drew his brows down, his mouth twisting into an angry pout. “What the hell is that?”

“Language,” Shiro chastised, barely containing a laugh.

“Really, Keith. I _work_ here,” Lance piled on. “You’d think for someone so good at keeping secrets, you’d be able to watch your mouth.” He’d given it away, of course. After all, he didn’t really want Keith to think he was mad at him.

Keith’s features softened as realization dawned on him. “You’re upset about that, huh?”

“I was…just a little,” Lance snickered. “I mean, it would have made last night a lot less confusing if you’d just said you…ya know…” He blushed.

“Ugh, get a room, you three,” Pidge gagged from beside them before popping over to help another customer who’d just walked in.

“If you should be mad at anyone, it should be Shiro,” Keith countered, crossing his arms over his chest and shooting the older man a glare. “He’s the one who kept dragging his feet. If it were up to me, we’d have been dating you ages ago.”

Lance blinked, a flush creeping up his neck. But he managed a teasing smirk. “So, you’ve liked me for a while, huh, Keith?”

The other intern paused, a light dusting of pink on his cheeks, before he answered. “Obviously.”

Shiro cleared his throat. “The reason we came by was to ask if you had any plans after you got off work today,” he said.

Lance quickly recovered and fell into easy flirting. “Why, Takashi Shirogane, are you asking me out on a date?”

“ _We_ ,” Keith interrupted. “We’re asking you out on a date.”

“No need to get jealous, Keith,” Lance provoked, but then reached out and put a hand over Keith’s where it was gripping the edge of the counter. “I’d love to go,” he said softly, feeling the tension ease out of the other. “What did you have planned?”

“We never did get to take you out for your victory dinner,” Shiro began, but Keith cut him off again.

“I did,” he said. “ _You_ were too chicken to ask him.”

“Too chicken to kidnap me from the parking lot,” Lance corrected him, barely able to contain his laughter when Keith turned his way, his ears bright red.

“I didn’t-” but then he stopped. “You’re teasing me again.”

“Get used to it,” Lance replied, giving Keith’s hand one more reassuring squeeze. “So, you guys want to take me out for victory dinner, huh?”

“I was able to get reservations at the Brazilian Steakhouse, but it was short notice, so they’re not until eight…” Shiro deflated a bit. “I hope that’s not too late.”

Lance looked between his boyfriends – his _boyfriends!_ – Each was looking at him expectantly, eager to hear his response. They were just so… cute. Cute was the word. Handsome, yes, but cute seemed perfect for now.

“You know you don’t really have to take me out to a fancy place like that, right?” Lance’s heart swelled at their genuine confusion.

Keith frowned. “But you said-”

“One day you’ll pick up on my teasing right away,” Lance said and then added, “I just hope it’s not any time soon, because your little pouty face is adorable.” Keith blushed again, but said nothing. “Seriously, though, if you guys want to go out, we can try that new Vietnamese place downtown.”

He had messaged his mom earlier to let her know that everything was fine now – though he failed to mention that he had two new boyfriends. Details. But he did get the address for the restaurant so he could forward it to Colleen for her.

“So, what do you say?”

“I’ve never had Vietnamese,” Keith admitted.

“Oh, you’ll love it!” Lance gushed. “ _Phở_ is to die for and _gỏi cuốn_ is quite possibly one of the most delicious dishes ever to be concocted. Right, Hunk?”

Hunk looked up from where he was taking inventory of their sauce packets. “Totally.”

“I guess I’m cancelling our reservations, then,” Shiro said and Lance turned toward him.

“If you don’t mind.” Lance did feel a little bad. After all, Shiro had gone through the trouble of making them in the first place.

“ _Please_.” Keith folded his arms over his chest again. “Have you seen the prices at that place? Shiro was trying to decide between that or his rent this month.”

Lance knew Keith was joking – more or less – but it still got him choked up. Shiro was seriously going to take him to that expensive place because he’d asked. He opened his mouth, blinking back the tears. “You were really going to do that?”

“Okay. Enough.” Pidge walked back over, hip-checking Lance. “No more of this _‘on a very special episode of The Garrison Zoo’_ afterschool drama in front of me. I go on my break in fifteen and I don’t want to lose my appetite.”

Wow. If someone needed a mood ruined, Pidge was your go-to. But they were right. Now was not the time. “You make an excellent point,” Lance said to them. “I’ll just be sure to show my boyfriends how much I appreciate them when I’m _off_ the clock.” He shot them a wink and reveled in both Keith and Shiro’s blushes, as well as Pidge’s put-upon retching noises. “I’ll see you boys at four, okay?”

They said their goodbyes, took a couple bags of sandwiches from Hunk – when had he even had a chance to make those? – and then waved to Lance as they walked out the door.

“You know I’m going to get you back for that, _Monkey_ ,” Pidge threatened from beside him.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “But it was worth it.”

 

Lance actually finished his shift a little early. It was pretty slow and their replacements all showed up, so Hunk, Pidge, and he were released at three forty-five.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us to see the lion cubs?” Lance asked Pidge.

“I’m sure they’re adorable, but I promised my dad I’d finish coding something for him tonight,” they answered. Geez, it seemed like Pidge was always busy with that kind of stuff. He wondered what their major was. Probably computer science or something equally as brainy.

“Fair enough.” Lance nodded. “But you’re coming with me, right, buddy?” He turned toward Hunk. “Cute lion cubs and a chance to see Shay,” he offered, waggling his eyebrows.

The telltale blush on Hunk’s cheeks was enough to give him away, but he cleared his throat. “I’ll drop by, yeah.”

“Oh, you don’t have to be shy, big guy,” he assured him. “I happen to know for a fact that Miss Shay is interested in you.”

Hunk snapped his head up so quickly, Lance was surprised he hadn’t given himself whiplash. “What? Really?!” he gasped and then played it off. “I mean, cool, I guess.” Lance snickered, but Hunk went on. “Well, I was planning on escorting you, anyway,” he claimed. “I have to give Shiro and Keith a talking to before they take you out tonight.”

“Ooh, got the dad on prom night speech all rehearsed, do you?” Lance elbowed him in the ribs as they made their way toward the lion enclosure. Pidge ran off after they walked out of the doors, giving a quick wave as they disappeared around the corner. So now it was just Lance and Hunk.

“I’m not going to scare them too badly, I don’t think,” Hunk said, looking pensive. “But they do need to know that if they hurt you, no one will ever find their bodies.”

Lance bit back a laugh. “Oh, yeah. That won’t scare them at all,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

They made it to the enclosure a few minutes later. Lance led the way, since Hunk had only been by once before and, even if he was planning to frighten Shiro and Keith, he didn’t want to be rude and just barge in.

When they reached the end of the hallway, they spotted Keith, Shiro, Rax, and Shay talking while cradling the cubs. Once they were within earshot, Shiro turned toward them and smiled wide and warm. “Lance,” he greeted. “And Hunk, too.”

“Hey.” Lance suddenly had butterflies in his stomach. Sure, he’d been flirtatious earlier, but now he was only moments away from his first date with his new boyfriends. It was kind of scary. A good scary. But scary nonetheless.

Hunk echoed Lance’s shy little greeting, though his attention wasn’t on Shiro and Keith, but on Shay instead.

“Hello again, Hunk,” she returned, a faint glow on her cheeks. “It is good to see you.”

They were so cute! Lance wanted to take a picture so he could put it up on display during his best man speech at their wedding. But he decided against it when he noticed that a very displeased Rax would be in the frame.

“Come, Shay. We should put the cubs back with their mother,” Rax said gruffly, glaring holes into the side of Hunk’s head.

Lance didn’t want to interrupt, but he spied Black Junior in Rax’s arms and just had to say ‘hello’ to the little guy. “Hey there, buddy,” he said, stepping closer. The cub opened his mouth and mewled in greeting and Lance’s heart melted. He gave him a little scratch on the head and then took a step back. “Okay, I’m good now,” he said to Rax, who looked less than impressed. Or maybe that was just his face.

“Then we’ll be bringing them to their mother.” Rax nodded toward Shay, who held the other two.

“Perhaps Hunk would like to assist us?” Shay offered and Lance, being the excellent wingman that he was, unceremoniously shoved his best friend forward. Hunk stumbled, but righted himself before he accidentally crashed into her.

“I’d love to help,” he said, eyes darting over to Rax. “If that’s all right.”

Lance tore his gaze away from the lovey dovey scene before him in order to focus on his own boyfriends. “So, I know I’m early.” But Lance paused, taking in Shiro’s and Keith’s attire. They were both dressed in what he would consider ‘date’ clothes. Shiro was wearing a button up gray shirt with dark dress pants, and Keith was clad in something other than leather. “You guys changed already,” he noted before glancing down at his uniform.

“Don’t worry,” Shiro assured him. “We can swing by your dorm before we go.”

“Yeah,” Keith agreed. “Unless you want to wear that. Which is also fine.”

They were both being so accommodating. Of course, that’s what boyfriends did, right? If Lance was completely honest, he hadn’t had a steady boyfriend or girlfriend or even been on a date in so long, he’d nearly forgotten what it felt like.

“Well, I certainly can’t let Keith out-dress me,” he teased, but sidled over and laced his fingers with the other to show he was joking. “So, if you truly don’t mind the pit stop.” He batted his eyelashes. “Let’s go and I can…slip into something a little more comfortable.”

Keith gripped his hand firmly and dragged him down the hallway. Shiro followed right behind them and Lance cackled the entire way.

 

Keith and Shiro waited downstairs while Lance ran up and took the fastest shower of his life. He would have taken more time picking out his clothing, but he didn’t want to keep them waiting, so he settled on a plain blue t-shirt and a nice pair of jeans. He also noticed the large pile of dirty laundry in the corner and made a mental note to help Hunk take care of that when he returned from his date.

His date! It was so exciting. Sure, he’d technically gone out on one with Keith the day before, but he hadn’t been given any time to prepare and he didn’t even know it was a date until the other was kissing him senseless on the edge of a cliff.

He wondered if this date would end the same way.

“Sorry for the wait,” Lance said as he sprinted through the double doors and to his waiting boyfriends.

“No need to apologize,” Shiro said and then offered his arm, which Lance gladly took. “You look nice,” he added as he began to escort him toward the parking lot. Lance turned and saw Keith following behind, his gaze darting between their interlocked arms and Lance’s free hand.

“C’mere, you,” Lance said, extending his hand out for Keith’s. He grinned when the other jogged up and laced their fingers again. Ah, this was a feeling he could get used to.

Lance hadn’t given much thought to how they’d be getting to the restaurant, until Keith spoke up. “Since Shiro is afraid of my bike,” he began, “we’re going in his car.”

“I’m not afraid,” Shiro corrected, giving a slight frown. “I have a healthy respect for it and a desire to keep all of my organs inside of my body where they belong.”

“Mhm.” Lance nodded and then exchanged a knowing glance with Keith. “So,” he continued, “which car are we looking for?” There were only a few left, since the zoo would be closing shortly.

“It’s this one,” Shiro pointed. “Right here.”

Lance didn’t know what kind of car he expected the world’s youngest and most successful animal behaviorist to drive, but that one most certainly wasn’t it. It was black, well, most of it was, as it was gray where the paint was peeling on the roof and the top of the trunk. The tires were relatively new, but one of the hubcaps was a different kind than the rest. And the tint on one of the windows was ripped and had rolled halfway to the door.

“It’s…nice,” Lance managed.

“Don’t lie to him,” Keith said. “It’s a clunker.”

“She’s not a clunker!” Shiro argued. “She’s just…well loved.”

“He’s had this car since before college,” Keith explained, ignoring Shiro’s indignant huffing. “He owns it outright and I’m pretty sure he’s afraid to sell it.”

“Like you’d sell your bike,” Shiro countered, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

“That’s different,” Keith mirrored him. “My bike is my baby and I take good care of her.”

Lance looked between them and decided, as amusing as this argument was, it was time to defuse the situation. “Look,” he said, getting their attention, “you both have very nice rides.” He gestured toward the car. “But maybe we could take one of them sometime today?”

Shiro flushed and Keith averted his gaze, but nodded. Then the former took out his keys and unlocked the doors.

“Shotgun!” Lance called and ran over to the passenger side. Keith opened his mouth, but then shut it. He knew he’d lost. Lance offered him a smug, though apologetic glance, before he opened the door and hopped in.

Once again, he was taken by surprise. Shiro was a really clean and organized person. He looked like the type who never skipped leg day at the gym and who had all of his files organized by color, size, and word count. But this car…

Lance picked up a box of fries from the floor and gave Shiro a questioning look.

“I…uh…haven’t had a chance to clean her out in a while,” Shiro admitted, his face full of shame. Keith said nothing, but snorted from the back. Lance turned to face him and paused, taking in the pillow and blanket spread across the seat.

“Shiro,” he began. “Have you been sleeping in your car?”

“My apartment isn’t too far from here, but with the whole waiting on Nyekundu thing and then the newborn cubs…” he trailed off, gripping the steering wheel and firmly planting his gaze forward. “Maybe we should have taken Keith’s bike.”

Lance wanted to argue that they wouldn’t all fit, but he didn’t. He just placed a hand on Shiro’s shoulder. “Hey, you can’t be perfect all the time.” When the other turned, he gave him a smile. “Actually, it’s refreshing to know that, deep down, you’re just a messy, disorganized dude like the rest of us.”

Keith snorted again and Shiro faced forward, turning the key in the ignition. “I suppose that makes me feel a bit better,” he managed and this time both Lance and Keith chuckled. “So,” Shiro continued, “where are we going?”

“Oh, I’ve got the address in my phone.” Lance pulled it out of his pocket and showed it to Shiro.

“That’s actually not too far from my place,” Shiro noted. “I think I’ve walked by it a few times.”

“Well, if you know where it is, can we hurry up and go?” Keith asked from the backseat.

Lance turned around to face him. “Uh oh, Shiro. You’d better put this thing in gear,” he warned. “Someone’s hangry.”

“I’m not hangry.” Keith rolled his eyes. “So, what’s this place got to eat, anyway?”

“Oh!” Lance beamed, momentarily forgetting that Keith had never had Vietnamese before. “Well, the main thing you have to try is _Phở_. It’s a noodle soup.”

“Like ramen?” Keith asked and Lance caught sight of his quirked brow in the rearview as Shiro pulled out of the parking space.

“Sort of,” Lance said, “Only, like, a hundred times better.” He went on, explaining the different dishes and appetizers. It’d been so long since he’d tasted any of them, he was already compiling a list of what they were going to order.

He probably should have known then that his eyes were far bigger than his stomach.

 

“I’m never eating again…” Lance complained, slumping back in his chair and wrapping his arms about his round middle. “But…good last meal.” He chuckled and then winced at the pain of his full tummy.

“We did eat quite a bit,” Shiro mused, taking in the empty plates and bowls littering the table.

They’d each gotten a bowl of _Phở_ – Lance’s orders – complete with sliced meat, meatballs, and brisket. And they hadn’t stopped there. They’d ordered almost everything off of the appetizer menu, including three helpings of _gỏi cuốn_ summer rolls. And, even with no room left in his belly, Lance found himself grabbing a beansprout and using it to scoop up the remaining peanut sauce out of the ramekin.

“Stop eating,” Keith said, slapping his hand. “You’re going to make yourself sick.”

“Says you,” Lance threw back weakly, but there was no bite to it. He was stuffed and sluggish now that his body had diverted all of its energy to digesting.

“It might be a good idea to take a walk after all this,” Shiro suggested before standing up to go pay at the counter. Lance had to agree. It would help everything settle before they all crammed back into Shiro’s car.

Ugh. Just the idea of all those twists and turns getting on and off the highway made Lance’s stomach roil.

Shiro was back a moment later, extending his hands out to both Lance and Keith. With grunts and groans, they both managed to get onto their feet and to walk – more like waddle – to the door.

 

“You know,” Shiro began as they waited for the light to change at an intersection. “My place is just around the next corner.” He pointed across the way. “Would you like to stop by? Maybe have some coffee?”

The short walk had done wonders for Lance and, he had to admit, he was curious as to what kind of apartment Shiro lived in. “Sounds good,” he agreed. “Keith?”

“As long as no one tries to feed me anything else,” he said before burping loudly. He had the decency to look a little sheepish. “Sorry.”

 

Shiro’s apartment – despite Lance’s previous misgivings after seeing the state of his car – was exactly as Lance would have imagined. It was clean and neat, modern but homey. Everything was black, dark gray, or silver, but there was a warmth to it. Little touches, like the succulents in the window, and the amazing collection of zoology books on the shelves, and the hand-crocheted blanket on the couch.

In fact, the whole place was very tidy except for that blanket, which was rumpled and thrown conspicuously next to a very slept-upon-looking pillow.

“Shiro…” Lance started, eying the couch. “Is there a particular reason you’re averse to sleeping in your bed?” he asked.

“What?” Shiro furrowed his brow and then followed Lance’s gaze. “Oh, actually-”

“That’s where I sleep,” Keith cut in. “After I got kicked out of the last program, I couldn’t exactly keep my dorm room there, so Shiro’s been letting me stay with him.”

For a moment, Lance felt like he was intruding. Shiro and Keith had known each other for years. And were actually living together. He felt…

“Don’t look too much into it,” Keith interrupted his thoughts. “I told you before how hesitant Shiro was, right? I sleep on the couch and he sleeps in his bedroom.” Then he smiled. “Though, he kept insisting that I take the bed,” he sighed. “But his feet hang off the end of the couch.”

Lance could picture that. Keith sleeping soundly in what he could only assume was a king-sized bed, while Shiro – the broad and large – was confined to the tiny leather couch.

“I was just trying to be a gentleman,” Shiro said, attempting to look putout. But the soft curve of his lips was a dead giveaway. “Anyway, why don’t you two have a seat and I’ll get the coffee going?”

“Sure,” Lance replied and made his way to the couch. He plopped down on top of the blanket and felt Keith do the same. He picked at a loose bit of yarn in the afghan while trying to think of something to say. Then it came to him. He hid his grin as he pretended to stifle a gasp. “I can’t believe Keith got me into his bed,” he moaned melodramatically. “And on the first date!”

He turned to see the other’s reaction, but froze when he realized just how close Keith was. His eyes were dark and hooded as he drew closer still, one of his hands finding its way to the back of Lance’s neck. “Second date,” he corrected, his voice low, before he kissed him.

Lance didn’t know if he’d ever get used to the way Keith kissed, suddenly, passionate, and borderline aggressive. But he liked it. He liked the feel of the other’s lips against his and the way Keith’s hands held him, his blunt nails gently raking over his scalp or his calloused fingers running up and down his arms.

He found himself being pushed backwards, his head falling to rest on the arm of the couch. Keith kissed him over and over, one of his hands resting on Lance’s hip and his thumb sneaking under the hem of his shirt to brush against his skin.

“Keith…” he gasped into his mouth, sucking in a shuddering breath as Keith’s wandering hand continued its journey.

“This okay?” Keith pulled back just far enough to ask. Lance nodded, swallowing as he brought his own hands up to frame Keith’s face.

“I see you’ve gotten started without me.” Shiro’s voice pulled Lance from his daze.

He’d been so wrapped up in kissing Keith, he’d nearly forgotten he was in Shiro’s apartment!

“Don’t pout, Shiro,” Keith said, sitting back on his heels and turning toward the older man. “We were just warming up.” He sounded cheeky, but his voice was rough with desire, and the sound of it sent a delicious tingle up Lance’s spine.

“Honestly, Keith,” Shiro complained. “I leave you alone for two minutes to make coffee-”

But Keith didn’t let him finish. He reached out and gripped the front of Shiro’s dress shirt, pulling him forward and smashing their lips together.

Oh, if Lance thought kissing Keith was enjoyable, watching him kiss Shiro was an Experience.

They broke apart a moment later, both breathing heavily. Lance looked between them, enjoying their breathless panting, the red staining their cheeks, and the dark color of their eyes. But that got him thinking. “So,” he croaked, catching their attention. “How is this going to work…exactly?”

He shivered when they turned to face him, their pupils blown and their lips red and shiny in the low light of the apartment. Keith’s gaze flicked to Shiro before he smirked. “I’ve got an idea.”

It took some doing, but Lance didn’t mind being led around and manhandled onto Keith’s lap. Shiro was between their legs, his hands cupping Lance’s cheeks as he brushed their lips together, softly and almost too gently. But Lance wasn’t complaining. In fact, he liked the contrast. Though, he had a sneaking suspicion that Shiro was holding back.

“Mm…not gonna break…” he murmured against Shiro’s lips and then hummed as Keith wrapped his arms around his middle, his mouth seeking out the back of his neck.

“You gotta take charge with him,” Keith whispered against Lance’s skin before peppering it with kisses. “Believe me.”

Lance did as he was told. His back was held firmly against Keith’s chest, but his arms were free, so he wrapped them around Shiro’s neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. Shiro moaned softly against his lips and that – oh, boy – did that do wonders for Lance’s confidence.

He did break away when Keith’s kisses travelled higher, hot, wet, and open-mouthed against the side of Lance’s neck. And after he began nosing just under his ear, Lance turned and planted one on him, taking Keith by surprise. “Did you think I was ignoring you?” Lance rasped, but Keith didn’t answer, he only surged forward, kissing him again.

Lance sighed happily against his lips and then drew back, allowing Shiro to move forward and have his turn with Keith. And, once again, between kissing them and watching them, Lance couldn’t decide which he liked more. But he knew one thing… He could do this all night.

His lips, however, disagreed with him. And so did his body. He could only sit in such an awkward position for so long before both of his legs began to fall asleep. He tried to be nonchalant, but his foot was trapped under Shiro’s thigh and the moment he moved it, the other noticed.

“Lance?” he asked, his dark eyes full of concern.

“M’leg’s asleep,” Lance slurred, his lips feeling puffy and swollen. He probably needed to find his balm before they got too chapped. When he realized their position, Shiro moved back, releasing Lance’s leg. “Oh…pins and needles…” Lance whined, falling back onto Keith.

“Cramp...” Keith groaned from behind him.

Lance immediately hopped off of him, his rubber legs almost sending him sprawling onto the floor – if not for Shiro catching him.

“Oww…” Keith winced, stretching his leg out and reaching down to massage his calf. “I think I’ve got a charley horse,” he complained, but then looked up at Lance and Shiro’s fretful faces. “Worth it, though,” he amended.

“I’ll go get you a glass of water,” Shiro said and then glanced forlornly at the three cooled mugs on the table. “And I’ll go make some fresh coffee,” he added with a chuckle and then disappeared into the kitchen.

Lance tried to stand up and wobbled a bit before falling back onto the couch. “Wow.” He gave a low whistle. “That was…” he paused, trying to think of the right word. “Wow.”

Keith snorted from beside him, his fingers still digging into his calf. But he hissed and Lance batted his hands away.

“Let me,” he said before Keith could oppose. And whatever argument he’d had at the ready came out as a low moan instead. Keith slumped back onto the arm of the couch, his eyes fluttering shut as Lance worked his magic on his poor, cramping muscle. “Better?”

“Mmmn…” Keith hummed in response. “That’s good.”

“Do I need to stop leaving the room?” Shiro asked as he returned with Keith’s glass of water.

“Nope. Don’t worry about us,” Lance said. “Just blowing Keith’s mind.”

Shiro chuckled, but Keith was still sort of out of it. “I think you already did that earlier,” he argued, sitting beside Lance and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

“Hey, we all did our part,” Lance countered, his cheeks growing warm at the memory of them tangled together, lips brushing and hands roaming. “That was, uh, amazing…by the way.”

“ _I_ thought so.” Shiro leaned forward to set the glass on the table before sitting back and wrapping an arm around Lance’s shoulders. “I hadn’t planned for things to…move so quickly,” he admitted.

“That’s okay,” Lance soothed. “We can blame Keith for that.”

“Hey!” Keith complained, but it devolved into another low moan as Lance dug his thumb into the tight muscle.

“So,” Lance started after a moment of comfortable silence. “We sort of did things out of order, didn’t we?” he offered, giving Keith’s calf one last little squeeze before releasing him.

Keith sat up and furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I guess, I just…” Lance’s face grew warm. “I mean, this is a first date, right?” He cleared his throat. “We probably should have spent some time getting to know each other a little bit.” Keith opened his mouth to retort, but Lance continued, “I know you guys probably know everything about each other by now, but…” He bit his lip. “I don’t.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Shiro said, trailing his fingers along the underside of Lance’s jaw and drawing him in for a quick kiss. “What do you want to know?”

“Well,” Lance began excitedly, “everything!” He laughed at their shocked expressions. “Okay, not _everything_ , but…” He tapped his chin as he thought. “Just little things, like…your favorite foods and animals, pet peeves, your lucky numbers, birthdays.” He beamed. “Stuff like that.”

Shiro and Keith both relaxed. Maybe they thought Lance was going to grill them on their pasts or something. They both had shared more than enough already. He just wanted to get to know them better. That was all.

“Okay,” Keith said after a moment. “Who do you want to go first?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, I can't wait to learn more about our boys, can you?
> 
> Also, any other Vietnamese food fans out there? Was my love too obvious? Haha.


	12. Never Cease to Amaze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys get to know each other better, but could there be trouble in paradise? Not if Pidge has anything to say about it. After all, communication is key.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, and so we've made it to the penultimate chapter already. Man, did the weeks fly by! I can't believe this fic is almost over. Although, the next chapter (final) is actually nearly twice the length of this one...oops... (but I couldn't find a good way to split it, haha)
> 
> Beta'd, as always, by the magnificent Alex!!  
> Please enjoy~
> 
> (When last we left our heroes, they were getting to know each other better...)

“Who do you want to go first?” Keith asked, shifting so he was sitting up on Lance’s other side, his hand slipping easily into his.

“Why don’t we let Lance go first?” Shiro suggested. “Since it was his idea.”

“Boo, no fun,” Lance teased, sticking his nose in the air. “But, if you need me to get the ball rolling…” He peeked open one eye and then smiled. “I’m sure that you’ve realized by now that, with Hunk as my best friend and roommate, I’ve tried just about every style of cuisine out there,” he chuckled. “But my absolute favorite food would have to be garlic knots.”

“Garlic knots?” Keith questioned. “Seriously?”

“They’re two-bite-sized, doughy puffs of heaven, I’ll have you know,” Lance turned toward him. “You’re not a fan?”

“I didn’t say that,” Keith countered. “I just figured that you’d like something fancier.” He shrugged before bringing their joined hands to his lips and kissing each of Lance’s knuckles.

“Do I look like some kind of connoisseur?” Lance quirked a brow.

“Yes.” Shiro and Keith answered at the same time, causing a bright, hot blush to bloom on Lance’s face and spread down his neck. “Not that it’s a bad thing,” Shiro added, giving his shoulder a squeeze before moving his hand to the back of Lance’s neck, where he rubbed gently.

“Hmm…fine. I guess I can forgive you two for that,” Lance said, slipping his eyes closed and enjoying the massage.

“So, what else?” Keith asked and suddenly there was a weight on Lance’s shoulder and the tickling brush of hair just under his chin.

“Let’s see…” Lance opened his eyes. “You can probably tell that I like big cats,” he said. “And not to make our little cubs jealous or anything, but I also think sharks are pretty neat.”

“Sharks are cool, I guess,” Keith said.

“Is your favorite animal cooler or something?” Lance peered down at him.

“Pretty cool,” Keith replied. “Believe it or not, after what I told you yesterday, but I still really like hippos.”

Lance’s brows shot up. “Actually, you know, I’m not surprised,” he said, tracing the inside of Keith’s palm with his thumb before moving to brush against his wrist. “You have a healthy respect for them. It’s admirable.” He turned and gently bopped his chin on the top of Keith’s head. Then he looked to Shiro. “What about you?”

“Lions have always been my favorite,” Shiro replied. “Even after all the trouble Nyukendu put us through.” He shook his head, but he was smiling. “I like all animals, though.”

“Even spiders?” Keith teased.

“Even spiders,” Shiro confirmed, but Keith had another one loaded in the barrel.

“Even cockroaches?” He sat up in order to get a better look at Shiro’s face, and Lance found himself curious.

“ _Even_ cockroaches,” Shiro said, sounding a lot less convincing.

“Okay, what am I missing here?” Lance asked, looking between them.

“Nothing,” Keith replied. “Only the fact that Shiro screams bloody murder if he sees a bug in the house.” He laughed and Lance found himself joining in, picturing the big, tough, and strong-looking Shiro being afraid of something as small as a little roach.

“I don’t scream bloody murder,” Shiro argued, pouting slightly – which Lance thought was absolutely adorable. “Sometimes I just get startled, is all.” He frowned at Keith and then turned to Lance. “I do like bugs, just…when they keep to their own habitat.”

Lance bit back a snicker and nodded. “Okay, moving on…”

“You said something about birthdays,” Keith offered as he rested his head on Lance’s shoulder again. “When’s yours?”

“Mine?” Lance thought for a moment. In all his excitement about lion cubs, being a temporary tour guide, his mother visiting, and – oh, he didn’t know, maybe – getting _two new boyfriends_ , he’d nearly forgotten. “It’s coming up at the end of the month, actually,” he mused, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone to check the date. “In about two weeks. The twenty-eighth.”

“I didn’t realize it was so soon,” Shiro said. “We’ll have to get you a gift.”

“Not to sound corny, but…” Lance gave him a sheepish grin. “Can’t the two of you be my gift?” Keith groaned from beside him, so he bumped him with his shoulder. “I mean, I honestly didn’t expect to get _one_ boyfriend this summer, so…consider my birthday wish fulfilled.”

“We’re still getting you a gift,” Keith harrumphed.

“And we’ll take you out to dinner,” Shiro added.

“C’mon, you guys don’t have to do that,” Lance said. “You already took me out to dinner tonight.” But Shiro and Keith both sat up and looked him dead in the eye. “What?”

“You’re getting a birthday dinner, so make peace with it,” Keith said, tone implying there was no arguing with him. Lance snorted and turned to Shiro to laugh at Keith’s serious expression, but Shiro also looked like he wasn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer.

“Fine,” Lance sighed, giving up. “You can spoil me on my birthday. Are you happy?” They both nodded and he laughed again. “Okay, but when are your birthdays, so I can return the favor?”

“Mine’s in October. The twenty-third,” Keith said.

“Oh, what’s this I hear?” Lance brightened. He cupped a hand to his ear just to make sure he’d heard correctly. “Am I _older_ than you, Keith?” He faked a gasp. “And by a whole three months!”

“Lance-”

“Don’t worry. When I turn twenty-one, I won’t rub it in your face,” he promised. “I might even let you have a sip of my first…” but he trailed off when Keith just smirked at him. “What now?”

“Nice try.” Keith snaked an arm around Lance’s waist. “But I’ll be turning twenty-two in October.”

Lance felt both embarrassed and robbed. “Ugh, I can’t beat you at anything, can I?” Keith shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m the youngest.”

“Not by much,” Shiro offered. “Keith is only a few months older than you.”

“Still!” Lance buried his face in his hands. “How about yours, Shiro?” he mumbled into his palms.

“Uh, mine’s February twenty-ninth,” he said, causing Lance to peek through his fingers.

“Leap Day?” He beamed at the realization. “So, you have a birthday, what? Every four years.” He ticked them off on his fingers. “So, that makes Shiro the youngest!”

They went on like that. Talking about themselves. And Lance was pleased to learn that Shiro and Keith didn’t know _everything_ about each other. He might have been a bit behind on ‘knowing’ them, but he was slowly catching up.

He learned that Shiro loved anything coffee-flavored and Keith had a terrible sweet tooth. Both hated waiting in line for anything – especially Keith and especially when it came to the newest releases for books or DVDs – ‘Why not just buy things online?’

They talked for what felt like hours. And, judging by how dim the light through the window had become, they probably had.

Lance gave a yawn and stretched his arms into the air. “I should head back to the dorm.” But he just snuggled closer into their embrace. “Hunk’s probably going to give me the third degree when I get back.” He snickered. “He’s a worrier.”

“You and Hunk are close, hm?” Shiro mused.

“As close as two people can be,” Lance answered with a smile. “We’re best friends, roommates, blood brothers – don’t ask, it was a weird summer camp thing – and the finest wingmen around.” He sucked in a breath. “Speaking of which! I need to ask him how things went with Shay today.” But just as Lance went for his phone, another started to ring.

Shiro apologized as he disentangled himself from them and made his way over to the kitchen counter to answer. That left Lance and Keith alone on the couch once more. “Should we start making out again?” Lance asked, half-joking.

“Don’t suggest things you can’t follow up on,” Keith shot back with a cocky grin.

Lance liked Smiling Keith and Pouty Keith, but Cheeky Keith was going to take some getting used to. Though, honestly, he was slowly becoming Lance’s favorite.

A moment later, Shiro returned. “Did I miss anything?” he kidded.

“Nope. We were good,” Lance promised. “Important call?” he asked.

“Actually, yes,” Shiro said as he sat beside them again. “It was Dr. Holt,” he explained. “He told me that Katie’s got the website all set up. So, basically,” he looked almost giddy as he continued, “the zoo patrons can visit the page, suggest a name, and after a certain amount of time passes, she’ll put up the top four for them to choose from,” Shiro paused, “Well, after we look over the suggestions, of course.”

“Yeah,” Lance caught on. “No need to have ‘Lion Butt’ or ‘Liony McLionFace’ make it up there. Although that last one…” He rubbed his chin in thought only to have Keith elbow him in the side. “Oww,” he complained and stuck his tongue out. “Anyway, now I really should get going.”

He didn’t want to leave, but it was getting late and, even though he went in later the next day, he really should try not to stay out past curfew. The last thing he wanted to do was accidentally get Shiro in trouble.

“I’ll drive you back,” Shiro said, standing up and going for his keys. “Keith, you coming?”

“Like I wouldn’t walk him to his door after our first date,” Keith replied as he stood up and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Second date,” Lance corrected him with a teasing little grin. “And, wow, Keith. I didn’t know you were such a gentleman.”

“I would have walked you back last night,” Keith went on, frowning a bit before a soft smile curved his lips. “But I’m glad Shiro finally got to talk to you.”

Lance looked between them again. “You two are something else,” he whispered fondly with a shake of his head. Though, he wasn’t sure they’d heard him.

“C’mon,” Shiro called, holding out his arm. “Let’s get you home.”

 

True to his word, Keith escorted Lance all the way to his door, with Shiro on his other side. When they made it to the room, Lance hesitated. He didn’t want the date to be over yet. He wished he could invite them in, but he knew the dorm was small and that Hunk probably didn’t want to deal with them making out on Lance’s bed for another hour or so.

“What’s wrong?” Shiro asked, lifting a hand to caress Lance’s cheek.

“I wish you didn’t have to go,” Lance sighed. “Actually, I wish _I_ didn’t have to go,” he amended. “You two get to go home together after this…”

“Hey.” It was Keith who spoke this time. “Nothing has to happen when you aren’t around.” He cupped Lance’s other cheek before leaning in close and nuzzling the sensitive skin of his neck just below his ear.

“Keith’s right,” Shiro said. “We’ve all got to be on the same page if this is going to work.” He smiled softly. “So, don’t feel like we’re leaving you alone, okay?”

“Yeah.” Keith drew back just far enough to kiss him.

“Okay,” Lance breathed against his lips. They kissed a few more times before Lance heard an exaggerated cough coming from the other side of the door. “Gotta go…” he mumbled against Shiro’s lips and then reluctantly pulled away. “Until tomorrow,” he whispered before he unlocked the door and slipped inside.

He had quite a bit of explaining to do once his best friend sunk his loving and slightly overprotective claws into him. But it was nice to relive the night. And it was worth it when he found out that Hunk had asked Shay out on a date. ‘Nothing special. Just dinner.’

Yeah. Lance knew a date when he heard one.

 

The next two weeks went by in a blur. Lance was kept busy both at the restaurant and with Black Junior and his frisky sisters. He saw a lot of Shiro and Keith and, except for their first day on lion watch, when Matt came up, winked at him, and proceeded to tease Shiro about finally making a move, most days were quiet.

The website received tons of responses. It seemed like the zoo patrons were excited to be a part of the naming. And Dr. Holt himself came by to share some of the suggestions with Lance. “What a great idea you had,” he said as he read off another name.

Things were going great. So, it was only a matter of time until something went wrong.

Lance was not a negative or pessimistic person. But even he could tell when both Shiro and Keith started to pull away. Sure, they’d all been busy, but they always managed to find time to grab a quick meal together or sneak a kiss between shifts.

But here Lance was. Eating lunch all alone. And even Hunk had disappeared.

“He’s probably with Shay,” Lance sighed, but gave a sad little smile. “At least things are working out for them…”

“What’s up?” Pidge materialized beside him, as they often did. “Trouble in paradise?”

Lance’s throat burned as he blinked back the tears welling up in his eyes.

“Uh-oh.” Pidge’s expression became serious. “What did they do?”

“Nothing,” Lance choked, his voice cracking. “They haven’t done anything. It’s just…” He took a deep, shaky breath. “I just feel like they’ve been…avoiding me lately.” He sniffled. “Maybe the honeymoon’s over. Maybe…maybe they’re-”

“Okay, that’s it. Stop right there.” Pidge held a hand up. “I promised I wouldn’t say anything, but they took ‘hush-hush’ a little too seriously, so I have no choice.”

Lance blinked at them in confusion. “Pidge, what are you-”

“What’s tomorrow?” They interrupted and Lance had to check his phone for the date before he answered.

“…my birthday?” he said.

“Right.” Pidge rested their elbow on the table. “And what did you say you wanted for your birthday?”

“Um…I didn’t really-” Lance paused. He hadn’t said he wanted anything, but he remembered Keith saying something about his birthday dinner. Still, that didn’t explain why they were so scarce all of a sudden.

“This is taking too long, so I’ll help you out,” Pidge gave an exasperated sigh. “Shiro and Keith wanted to make you a special birthday dinner,” they said. “Hunk has been letting them into the kitchen every night for the past week so he can teach them how to make some of your favorite dishes.”

Lance gaped. “Wha…What? Really?!”

“Yes, really.” Pidge let their chin rest heavily on their fist. “I’ve been the one cleaning up after them.”

He gave them a skeptical look. “That doesn’t sound like you…”

“Okay, fine. Hunk’s been cleaning up after them. But I had to watch!” Pidge adjusted their glasses with a huff. “Anyway, now you know, so…act surprised or whatever tomorrow, okay?”

Lance couldn’t believe it. He’d been worried over nothing. While he was busy doubting himself, his boyfriends were working extra hard to make his birthday special. He was such an idiot. “Thanks, Pidge,” he said, leaning forward and pulling them into a hug before they could escape.

“Yeah, yeah,” Pidge grumbled and then returned the hug. “I just couldn’t stand seeing you looking all depressed,” they said and then added, “It ruins the atmosphere.”

Lance snorted and hugged them tighter, earning a choked squeak and a swift kick to the shin. He pulled back, unable to wipe the grin from his face. But then he realized something. “I need to figure out what I’m going to wear!”

“And…he’s back.” Pidge rolled their eyes.

 

Lance’s birthday dinner was nothing short of a disaster. Keith burnt the garlic knots, Shiro’s pot of water boiled over – three times – and neither one of them had remembered to remove the wax paper from around the meat.

Now, Lance chalked it up to nerves. Mostly because he couldn’t believe that two grown men could fail so horribly at cooking. It just didn’t make any sense. They lived on their own. How were they sustaining themselves?

He’d learned that night that all of Shiro’s ‘home-made’ lunches he’d brought in back at the beginning of the summer were either leftovers or food cooked by the widow next door who ‘worried about him getting enough to eat.’ So, that explained a lot.

Still, the takeout they’d ordered in was delicious and Lance ate it happily while trying his best not to giggle at his pouting – and slightly toasty – boyfriends.

“It could be worse,” Lance offered, popping a dumpling into his mouth.

“How?” Keith countered.

“Hey, I don’t have all the answers,” Lance replied with a shrug. “But I’m sure it could have been.”

Shiro heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry we ruined your birthday dinner, Lance.”

“It’s not ruined,” Lance promised. “All I wanted was to spend time with my boyfriends.” He stood up from his seat on the floor next to the coffee table and made his way closer to them. “So, I’m super happy.”

“You would have been happier with cake,” Keith grumped with a frown.

“Well, now we know not to try to bake multiple things with different cooking temperatures at the same time,” Lance said, eyeing the half-charred and half-raw concoction in a pan on the kitchen counter. “Lesson learned.”

“We’ll make it up to you,” Shiro went on, still taking on the appearance of an oversized kicked puppy.

“Ooh, actually. You know what would be nice?” Lance began, catching their attention. “If we went back to that ice cream place with the milkshakes.” He stood up, clearing his plate, but stopped when he reached the threshold of the kitchen to glance over his shoulder. “Keith, I never did get to prove I could tie that cherry stem, did I?”

 

Four days later, Lance was happily feeding Black Junior, when Dr. Holt excitedly burst into the lion enclosure, waving a piece of paper in the air. Keith, who’d been dragging a frayed piece of rope for Njano and Kijani to chase, paused and quirked an eyebrow at Lance before turning toward their boss.

“I’ve got the top ten names from the website!” Dr. Holt cheered.

A moment later, Shiro walked through the door, carrying a holder with three steaming cups of coffee. He’d been on night duty, but promised he’d come and visit Keith and Lance during the day – even though they told him to get some rest.

“Dr. Holt?” he questioned. “I thought you weren’t in until five?”

“I’m not, I’m not,” the older man assured him. “But Katie e-mailed me the results from the preliminary voting stage and I just had to come by and tell you in person.” He paused, giving Shiro’s slightly rumpled form a once-over. “Shouldn’t you be off right now?”

Shiro side-stepped the question with one of his own. “So, you said Katie sent you the results?”

“Ah, yes.” Dr. Holt adjusted his glasses and smoothed down the page. “We received quite a few, as I’m sure you all remember.” He was referring, of course, to the fact that he kept swinging by to let them know when someone suggested a new name, especially if it was one he found humorous. “So, the top spots were close by a very narrow margin, but I thought I’d share all ten.”

Keith walked out of the den and brushed the straw off of his pants before crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the glass just behind Lance. “Let’s hear, ‘em.”

Lance snorted. He was playing it cool, but deep down, he knew that Keith was just as eager to hear the names as the rest of them. “Ooh, this is exciting, isn’t it, little guy?” Lance cooed to Black Junior, who just blinked up at him before continuing to suckle on his bottle.

“All right, I’ll start with the bottom six and then reveal the top four,” Dr. Holt said, putting on a serious face and looking like a judge from some ‘unscripted’ competition show. “So, tied for fifth and sixth place we have Kimba and Beanie, then Sven in seventh, Spot in eighth,” he squinted to read the last two, “Ah, yes, then there’s Toasty-”

“Aww,” Lance interrupted. “I really liked that one,” he added with a little pout.

“Sorry, my boy,” Dr. Holt chuckled. “And, in tenth place, we have…” He drew his brows together. “Voltron?”

“Vol…tron?” Keith raised an eyebrow.

“Like that space robot anime?” Lance mirrored him, the two exchanging glances.

“Ah, that’s actually kind of clever,” Shiro mused. “Since Voltron was formed from lions. Well, not real lions, but these sort of sentient robot…” he trailed off when he noticed the rest of them staring at him. “…why are you all looking at me like that?”

“I knew it.” Lance beamed. “Shiro’s a secret anime geek.”

“I always wondered what he kept locked in that cabinet near the TV,” Keith compiled. “And now we know. It’s ancient 80’s Japanimation.”

Shiro groaned and hid his face in his hands. “Guys, my mom used to watch it. She was a big fan.”

“Oh, yeah, sure.” Lance nodded along. But he didn’t want to tease him too much – he’d save that for later – for now, he wanted to hear the rest of the names. “So, who made it into the top four?” he asked.

“Well, unsurprisingly Nyeusi II made the cut,” Dr. Holt said. “He is the only male lion other than his father, so naming him after him was a popular suggestion.” He gave a fond little laugh. “And the other three are Simba, Nyeupe, and Kuro.”

“Simba!” Lance cheered. “That’s adorable!” He cuddled Black Junior closer to his chest. “Can’t you just picture Rafiki holding him up to show all of the other animals?”

“What about Nyeupe?” Shiro asked. “Is that Swahili like the other names?”

“You always did have an ear for languages,” Dr. Holt said with a smile. “Yes, it means ‘white,’ though, the name might not fit, since his fur is darker, like his father’s.”

“I like Kuro,” Keith said as he pushed himself off of the glass and stepped closer to Lance and Black Junior. He gave the little cub a quick scratch on the head before looking up at Shiro. “It’s Japanese, isn’t it?” he asked him.

“Yeah,” he replied. “Unsurprisingly, it means ‘black’.”

“Well, I think any of those names would be a great fit,” Lance threw in before pulling the empty bottle away from the cub, who gave a little whine and then yawned.

“So, the poll will go live today?” Shiro turned to Dr. Holt.

“Yes,” he said. “Katie probably already has it up now.” He chuckled and, once again, Lance found himself curious about the mysterious Katie Holt. She seemed to always be around, but never where he was. Oh well, the zoo wasn’t that big a place. He was sure he’d run into her eventually.

 

“Voltron?” Pidge gave him a look. “I mean, who suggests that?”

They were eating lunch, the three of them, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk. Shiro was on lion watch and Keith had actually listened for once and went home to nap. At least, that’s what he’d told Shiro. Lance had a sneaking suspicion that the other intern was currently out for a ride.

“Evidently, enough people that it made the top ten,” Hunk replied through a mouthful of fries.

Things had been so hectic lately and it was nice to just take a seat and chow down with his friends again.

“So, Lance,” Pidge changed the subject. “How are things going with the boys?” They flashed him a mischievous grin.

“Things are going just great,” Lance said before taking a bite of his pizza. “They don’t try to cook anymore,” he added. “Unless I’m there to help.”

“Listen, I tried my best with them,” Hunk sighed. “But some people just aren’t suited for the culinary arts.” He shook his head.

“Speaking of…” Lance began and then wracked his brain to find a segue. After failing, he just went ahead and asked. “How are things going with Shay?”

Hunk’s face turned a lovely shade of red, which he hid behind his cup.

“I heard someone say they saw them kissing in front of the dorms last night,” Pidge waggled their brows.

“Oh, yeah. I heard _all_ about that,” Lance added with a wink.

“All right, all right.” Hunk looked like a tomato now. “Knock it off. I know you guys were there.” He frowned. “I thought you both above spying.”

“Hey, I wasn’t spying!” Lance put a hand over his heart. “I just happened to be on my way back from walking Shiro to his car.” He batted his eyelashes innocently. “Isn’t that right, Pidge?”

Pidge shrugged. “I was spying.”

Hunk groaned and they both laughed.

 

It may have been Lance’s imagination, but the zoo was getting busier. When he wasn’t tending to the lion cubs, he found himself running around the restaurant, rushing to fill orders. It was a nice change of pace, but exhausting all the same.

“Good…grief…” Pidge panted as they sat down and placed the side of their face against one of the tabletops. “Today was insane.”

“It really was,” Lance agreed. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m happy that business has picked up, but-” He sat down opposite them. “We sure could use some extra help.”

“If you have time to lean, you have time to clean!” Sal’s gruff voice had them both shooting up and onto their feet. “But actually, wrap it up,” he said before jerking a thumb over his shoulder. “You’ve got company.”

Lance followed the other’s gesture toward a familiar face. It was Colleen Holt. “I hope I’m not interrupting,” she said her gaze shifting from Lance to Pidge.

“Not at all,” he replied. “We were just about…” He turned and found an empty space where Pidge had once been standing. “…done,” he finished. How did they _do_ that?

“I know it’s late, but we’ve just finished the arrangements this evening,” she said, stepping closer, her heels clicking on the tile floor. “We’ve scheduled an event for the lion cubs’ debut,” she said, smiling cordially. “And I wanted to personally invite you to be one of our presenters.”

Lance raised his brows. By now, he really should have come to expect things like this. But considering there were easily a handful of other, more qualified people who could be presenting the cubs at their naming ceremony, he was still shocked.

“Really? Me?” he asked and she nodded. “Thank you. It’s an honor.”

“I take it you accept, then?” Her eyes crinkled as her smile widened. “Sam and I have already discussed it. He’ll be reading the names aloud while you, Keith, and Takashi hold the cubs. Then you’ll place them in a small pen at the front of the stage for press photos.”

That sounded awesome! He might even end up in the newspaper or on TV. Lance couldn’t wait to tell his mother! But he stayed calm. “I’ll make sure to iron my uniform,” he replied, secretly hoping that Shiro had an iron he could borrow in his apartment. Or that he at least knew a way to procure one.

“Oh, come now. This is a black tie affair,” she said with a laugh. “We’ll be renting something for you, so let me know your measurements sometime tomorrow.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “And do thank your mother for me. That restaurant was phenomenal! Sam hasn’t stopped talking about it.”

Lance grinned and nodded. “I’ll be sure to let her know.”

“Wonderful.” She pulled back and clasped her hands together. “Now, I’ll let you finish up.” She turned to go, but paused. “Oh, I almost forgot. The ceremony is next Friday at nine. I’ll make sure Takashi gets you all the details.” And then she walked out the door.

Lance finished cleaning with a bounce in his step. He didn’t even whine to Pidge about them ditching him for the last part – after they’d reappeared just as he was dumping the sanitizer bucket. He was in a great mood. And he couldn’t wait to gush to his boyfriends about their important jobs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy! A naming ceremony~  
> Gosh, so much happens in the next chapter, I can't even (of course, it was originally supposed to be two, haha)  
> I hope you've all been enjoying the ride. Please look forward to the final chapter next week~


	13. Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cubs' debut, talk of the future, and a very happy ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone!! I'm heading out with my family and I wasn't sure if I'd be home in time to post this week's chapter before 9pm est. So...surprise! Here it is early!!
> 
> This is really bittersweet for me. I'm happy to post the final part...but I'm sad there won't be anymore chapter updates for this piece (see ending notes)
> 
> Beta'd, as they all have been, by the fantabulous Alex~♥  
> Reminder: This was supposed to be two shorter chapters, but I couldn't find a good place to split it up, so...please enjoy a bit more!!

The cubs’ debut and naming ceremony was a big to-do. Thousands of zoo patrons and high end supporters and sponsors filled the chairs set up in front of a large stage they’d erected in front of the lion enclosure. There was a separate seating area for the press and the flashes from their cameras were already illuminating the podium where the Doctors Holt were placing note cards and discussing a few last minute things before the event was scheduled to start.

Lance had done his fair share of plays and musicals in high school and even a few for his theatre friends in college, but none had ever had an audience quite this large. And they definitely didn’t have several news reporters with their huge video cameras and satellite-topped vans lining the back row.

“Just breathe,” he heard Shiro say. Lance did as he was told, but to his surprise, the older man was talking to Keith, who was actively trying to claw his way out of his bowtie.

“Why do I have to wear this stupid thing?” Keith complained, sticking his finger under his collar and giving it a yank in an attempt to loosen it.

“Because this is an important event for the zoo,” Shiro replied before batting Keith’s hand away and straightening his tie. “I promise you can take it off as soon as we’re done.”

Lance smiled and sidled over to him. “Yeah, Keith,” he said, dropping his voice low. “And if you’re a good boy, maybe Shiro and I will help you.” He bit his lower lip and didn’t miss the way Keith’s pupils dilated at the offer.

They hadn’t gone much further in the little over a month they’d been dating, but their ‘make out sessions’ had gotten a little hotter and a whole lot heavier as of late. It could have had something to do with their busier work schedules or all the stress over the upcoming event, but whenever the three found a moment alone… Well, Lance wasn’t one to kiss and tell.

Hopefully, once the cubs were placed with the other lions in their own little section of the enclosure, Lance and his boyfriends would have more time together again. Lance knew exactly where he wanted their next date to be. But for now, he was going to focus on the ceremony. They had an important job to do.

“Okay, back to that later.” Shiro cleared his throat, a light dusting of pink on his cheeks. He gave Keith’s bowtie one last tug and, finally satisfied with its alignment, turned his attention on Lance. “How do I look?” he asked.

Lance gave him a once over. Shiro looked unfairly handsome. Then again, he would still look fantastic wearing a potato sack. His suit was perfectly tailored, hugging his every curve and somehow, despite the layers, it accentuated his muscular build. Hot. But Lance managed to keep his drool in his mouth. “You look drop dead gorgeous, babe,” he replied coolly, adoring the way Shiro flushed at the nickname. It was relatively new. They were still feeling each other out, getting used to being a ‘thing.’ And it was fun learning what the others liked.

For example… “What about me?” Keith asked, smoothing down his lapels and standing up straighter. Keith didn’t really get jealous often. But he did tend to get needy from time to time, something Lance hadn’t expected. Keith, despite his too cool for school exterior, really enjoyed when Lance flattered and flirted with him.

“You look absolutely ravishing,” Lance purred appreciatively as he raked his gaze over Keith, purposely taking his time. However, he frowned when he looked back up.

“What?” Keith asked, his hand unconsciously going for his tie again.

“Your hair is getting kind of long,” Lance mused, reaching up and fingering one of the thick, dark curls that had started to flow freely over the nape of Keith’s neck. “Hold on.” He fished around in his pocket and pulled out a hair tie. Then he grabbed Keith’s shoulders, spun him around, and quickly put the other’s hair into a neat, low ponytail. “There,” he said, turning him back. “Much better.”

Keith blinked at him. “Why did you just _have_ that in your pocket?” he questioned, lifting a brow.

“Please.” Lance rolled his eyes. “I have two older sisters. And this is a super important event that’s going to be aired on national television.” He shook his head. “I came prepared.”

“You never cease to amaze,” Shiro chuckled from beside him before wrapping an arm around his waist. “What else do you have in there?”

“Bobby pins, a tiny can of hairspray, gel, lip balm, and a tin of mints,” he listed them off.

“You really did come prepared,” Shiro noted and then pulled back.

“Yes, well, can’t leave anything to chance,” he offered. “But now that we know both of you are rocking the suits.” He pushed back his hair and struck a pose. “How about me?”

Keith was beside him in an instant, slipping his hand up the back of his suit jacket and pulling him close. “You look good enough to eat,” he rasped in his ear, sending a delightful shiver up Lance’s spine.

“Ooh h-hoo,” Lance stammered, his face hot. “Down boy.” He snickered at Keith’s little pout. “Not that I don’t appreciate the flattery, but…” He chewed on his lower lip. “We have to be on stage in a few minutes and I’d like to keep my composure, if you don’t mind.”

“This from the guy who said he wanted to take my suit off,” Keith scoffed, but then gave a half smile. “To be continued, then.” He lowered his hand and gave Lance’s behind a quick squeeze, which elicited a very undignified squeak.

“Behave, you two,” Shiro warned good-naturedly.

“Ah, there you three are,” Matt’s voice sliced through the tension, pulling them out of their moment. “We’ve got the cubs all set to go,” he said, gesturing toward Shay and Rax, who were wheeling over a cart with three pet-sized carriers atop it. “You remember what to do, right?” he asked.

“Walk onto the stage. Don’t drop the cubs,” Keith said. “I think we can handle that.”

“We’ve got it,” Shiro told Matt in a kinder tone, shooting Keith a look.

“Then I suppose you already know about their outfits,” Matt returned with a smirk. And then, as if on cue, Shay and Rax opened two of the carrier doors, pulling out Njano and Kijani. Both female cubs were wearing big, fluffy tutus – in their signature yellow and green colors, respectively – as well as big, oversized bows, which were Velcroed around their necks.

“Oh my goodness!” Lance squealed. “They’re adorable!” He gushed over them.

“Wait until you see BJ,” Matt said. He’d been calling Black Junior that since they hadn’t determined or announced his official name yet. Shay and Rax handed their cubs over to Shiro and Keith and then Shay opened the third carrier.

“Oh…my…” Lance was at a loss for words. Black Junior was wearing a black bowtie with a little dickey, complete with little black buttons. “Look at you!” he cooed and then happily accepted him from Shay. “He looks even more dapper than Shiro!” he gasped and both Matt and Keith snorted.

“Oh, good. You’re all ready,” Colleen said as she popped backstage. “Sam is about to announce you.” Which, of course, meant that they still had a few minutes. Dr. Samuel Holt was a bit long-winded, not letting himself be limited by the notecards he’d been given.

But, after he was done, it was their cue. Shiro stepped up first, holding Njano. Then Keith and Kijani followed, with Lance and Black Junior picking up the rear. The entire audience murmured softly as the three made their way across the stage to stand beside Dr. Holt.

“Aren’t they adorable?” he gestured toward them and then faced the audience once again. “Our first cub, held by our head animal behaviorist, Takashi Shirogane, is Njano,” he introduced them. “She is named for the lovely golden yellow color of her coat.”

When Shiro stepped forward and presented her, a thousand camera flashes went off, causing the cub to shut her eyes and burrow into his chest.

“Next we have one of our talented young interns, holding Kijani.” Dr. Holt motioned for him to come closer. “Go on, Keith,” he said with a wide smile. “Kijani translates to green, which suits her personality just fine, I’d say.” At that, Kijani wriggled around, trying to jump from Keith’s arms. But he managed to get her to calm down for a few pictures.

Lance was up next. He swallowed down the butterflies in his stomach – which felt like they were trying to escape through his mouth – and stroked Black Junior’s head to calm himself.

“And last, but certainly not least, is our youngest cub and the only male,” Dr. Holt announced. Lance took a deep breath and joined the others. “I’m sure you’re all very excited to hear the name for this little guy, right?” The audience cheered. Lance was eager, too. “Lance.” The suddenness of Dr. Holt calling his name startled him. That wasn’t in the script. “Would you like to do the honors?”

Lance probably should have nodded and strode over. And he would have. If he hadn’t gotten a sudden case of the jelly legs, that is. Still, he managed to make his way to the podium, clutching Black Junior to his chest.

“For those of you who were not aware, we recently put up a poll on the Garrison Zoo’s website, asking all of our patrons to suggest names,” Dr. Holt explained. “And once we narrowed them down to the top four, we put it to a vote.” He smiled and pulled an envelope from his breast pocket. Then he made a show of opening it.

Once the paper was unfolded, Dr. Holt turned to Lance. He showed him the results and Lance couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. It was perfect. Dr. Holt held the microphone in front of him and Lance wet his lips before speaking.

“I’d like to introduce you all to Kuro.”

 

Once the ceremony was over and the cubs had been returned to their crates and taken out of the public eye, the crowd began to file out. Most everyone had gone by the time Colleen walked over to them at a brisk pace.

“Hold on a moment, boys,” she called. Shiro, Matt, and Lance turned to face her while Keith let out an almost silent, annoyed growl. Lance knew it was because Keith wanted to get out of that suit as quickly as possible, so he just chuckled and reached for the other’s hand to give it a quick, reassuring squeeze. “I’ve got two people I’d like you all to meet,” Colleen said as she slowed.

Behind her were Dr. Holt, Iverson, and two others Lance had never seen before. One was an older man with bright red, almost copper-colored hair and a finely groomed mustache. The other was a stunning young woman with lovely dark skin and a mane of thick, pale hair that cascaded down her back in waves.

“Who’s that?” Lance whispered to Matt.

“I don’t know,” he replied out of the side of his mouth. “But she’s gorgeous!”

“Allow me to introduce Miss Allura Lyons and Coran Smythe.” Colleen held her hand out toward them. “They’ve traveled quite a distance to meet our newest additions and tour the zoo.”

“I must say,” Allura began, her accent posh, but her tone friendly, “It was an honor being some of the first to view your lion cubs.”

“Well.” Lance stepped forward, taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips. “The honor was all ours, I assure you.” She furrowed her brow and cocked her head to the side causing Lance to inwardly panic. Perhaps he’d overstepped his bounds.

Thankfully, Shiro reached forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, steering him away so he could shake Allura’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Lyons.”

“Oh.” She smiled then. “And it’s great to meet you, Mr. Shirogane.” She gave his hand a firm shake. “I believe you may have worked alongside my father at a zoological conference some years ago.”

Recollection dawned on Shiro’s features. “Oh, I should have recognized the last name.” He drew his hand back. “How is he?”

“Not well, I’m afraid,” she replied.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Shiro frowned.

“Yes, he’s been quite the grouch since the doctor confined him to bed rest,” Coran spoke up, his accent a little thicker and slightly different than hers. “But he’ll make a full recovery if he cooperates.”

“This is Coran,” Allura reintroduced him. “He’s been accompanying me as I visit zoos in my father’s place,” she explained before barely stifling a yawn. “Excuse me.” She flushed. “The time change is always the difficult part. I’m afraid I might be a bit jetlagged.”

“You traveled pretty far, huh?” Lance asked, trying to figure out Coran’s accent. “Australia?” he guessed.

“New Zealand,” Coran corrected. “And I’ll forgive you that egregious error only once.”

Lance blushed, his ears growing hot. “Excuse me.”

“Oh, don’t mind him.” Allura waved her hand in dismissal. “He always gets like this after a long flight.” She cupped a hand to the side of her mouth and whispered, “I believe his age is catching up with him.”

“I heard that, Ms. Lyons!” Coran huffed.

Lance and Allura both laughed and then he tried his hand at introducing himself again. “I’m Lance, by the way,” he said.

“Yes, I heard your introduction on stage,” she said. “Also, Dr. Holt has told us quite a bit about her husband’s interns.” Lance was flushing again, but from a different type of embarrassment this time.

“Well, I hate to interrupt, but I did promise these boys the rest of the day off,” Colleen said and Lance could almost feel Keith’s sigh of relief. “Ms. Lyons, Mr. Smythe, shall we begin your tour?”

“Yes, of course.” Allura grinned. “I’m sure we’ll see each other later.” She gave a slight bow before following Dr. Holt and Iverson toward the entrance to the lion enclosure.

“Wow, she’s something else.” Matt hummed from beside him. “I should probably go make sure Shay and Rax got the cubs back safely.” He cleared his throat. “See you guys later!” he threw over his shoulder as he raced to catch up with his parents and the newcomers. More specifically, Allura.

Lance chuckled as his gaze followed Matt’s retreating back.

“Well,” Shiro said, catching his and Keith’s attention. “What should we do with the rest of our day?”

In a blink, Keith grabbed both Shiro’s and Lance’s arms and began dragging them toward the front gate.

Well, that answered that question.

 

It was a week or so later when Lance noticed a troubled-looking Hunk sighing his way through the kitchen. His best friend was so distracted, he’d nearly burned the panini he had in the press. And Hunk, as a rule, never burned things.

“Hey, buddy,” Lance said for the third time, finally catching his attention. “Everything okay, man?” The restaurant was practically empty, save for one small family who was finishing up their meal, so Lance had left Pidge to watch the front. “You seem…off.”

“Hmm?” Hunk blinked and then quickly nodded. “Yeah. Sorry. I’m just…” he trailed off, falling silent once again as he lifted the press to check if the cheese on the sandwich had melted.

“C’mon, dude,” Lance tried again, moving closer. “You’ve been my shoulder all summer,” he said. “You can tell me.” He wet his lips. “Did something happen with Shay?”

At the mention of his girlfriend’s name, Hunk snapped his head up. “What? No! I…we’re…we’re doing fine,” he said and then heaved another sigh. “It’s about this internship.”

Lance patiently waited for him to continue. He wondered if Hunk had grown tired of being stuck in the kitchen all the time, cooking day in and day out. Or maybe it was the other way around. There were only a few short weeks remaining in the program. Maybe he didn’t want it to end.

“Remember when Sal called me into his office earlier?” Hunk asked and Lance nodded. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence, as their boss seemed to always go to Hunk first when he had an idea or needed some input. But it was rare that he looked so serious and even rarer that he closed the door. “Well,” Hunk began, taking a deep breath, “he offered me a permanent position.”

Lance’s brows shot up. “Whoa. Dude, seriously?” He grinned. “I didn’t know he could do that.”

“Yeah,” Pidge said, popping up right beside them. “Every section leader has the option of choosing one of their interns to join the team fulltime once the summer ends.”

Once again, Pidge somehow knew everything. “Well,” Lance began, sparing them one last look before facing Hunk again. “I think that’s amazing!” But his face fell when he noticed Hunk’s lack of enthusiasm. “You’re not happy about it?”

Hunk was quick to reply. “No, I am. I just…” He shook his head, lifting the press once again to check on the panini.

“You know, a watched sandwich never toasts,” Lance offered, trying to ease some of the tension. “C’mon. Let’s hear it.”

“You know it’s always been my dream to run my own restaurant,” Hunk said and, once again, Lance nodded. “And this is my chance,” he went on. “Sal wants to give me complete creative control and he’s even ready to hand the place over when he retires in a few years.”

“But…” Lance and Pidge prompted.

“But,” Hunk continued. “We only have one year left of college and, as you know, an engineer’s salary dwarfs that of a restaurant manager. By, like, a lot.” He frowned. “It’s not about the money for me, but Mom worked so hard to pay for school…”

“Hunk.” Pidge stepped forward, placing a hand on his bicep. “Take it from me. You can’t just live your life the way you think your family wants you to.” They gave him the softest smile Lance had ever seen them make. “You can do what you’re passionate about or you can follow the path laid out for you.” Then they shrugged. “You can do whatever until you find your calling.”

“Pidge is right,” Lance joined in. “Hunk, what do you want to do?”

“I…I don’t know,” Hunk admitted. “I mean, I should really finish school no matter what.”

“Then that settles it.” Lance clasped his hands together. “Ask Sal if you can help out on the weekends and during breaks until we graduate. If he really wants you for the position, which I think we all know he does, he’ll be willing to wait.”

Hunk smiled then, the first one Lance had seen on him all day. “Thanks, man.” He pulled him into a hug and then extended his other arm out to capture Pidge. “You, too, Pidgey.”

“Hey, only I’m allowed to call them that!” Lance feigned an insulted tone.

“Neither of you are allowed to call me that!” Pidge argued, wriggling free from Hunk’s hold. “I’m going back out front. I think I heard some customers.”

“I’ll go with you,” Lance said, but before he followed, he turned to face Hunk on last time. “You gonna be okay now, buddy?”

“Yeah,” he replied. “Now get up there before Pidge gets in the weeds.”

 

After the short afternoon rush, while he and Pidge were restocking the cups, Lance cleared his throat, getting their attention. “Yeah?”

“Hey, so, you know how when we were talking to Hunk, you said something about every section leader being able to offer an intern a permanent position?” he asked, counting the rims of the cups until he reached twenty and then shoving them into the dispenser.

“Yeah. What about it?”

“Well…” Lance chewed on his bottom lip. For a moment, he thought about how cool it would be to work at the zoo fulltime. How he could really make his dream a reality. But then he remembered that he wasn’t technically in the animal behaviorist program and all thoughts of working with Shiro and Keith after the summer ended frittered away. “Never mind.” He shook his head.

 

Keith picked Lance up after work. Shiro was in a meeting with Dr. Holt until later, so it was just the two of them walking to the parking lot.

“Do you want to get something to eat?” Keith asked, but Lance shook his head.

“I can make us something when we get home.” He knew it was Shiro’s apartment, where Keith happened to live. But Lance visited so often, he felt like it was his second home now. He’d even stocked their pantry with easy-to-prepare dishes so they wouldn’t starve. Though, he still didn’t trust them around an open flame. Dealing with captive wild animals? Sure. But operating a stovetop was a different story.

Shiro sent them a text during their ride – which Lance noticed when they dismounted from Keith’s bike. He’d gotten a bit more used to it, but he wasn’t comfortable enough to check his phone while Keith was speeding down the road. And, honestly, not even at red lights, either. The message from Shiro said that he’d be home in about a half an hour, so Lance got to making dinner right away.

It was finished by the time Shiro walked in the door and the three ate it together at the kitchen table. Lance had weaned the other two from their previous eating habits. Keith used to eat on the couch while flipping through channels, while Shiro would either stand hovering next to the tall counter or bring whatever microwavable, nutrient-deficient garbage he’d warmed up into his room – Lance lost count of how many empty noodle cup containers they’d pulled out of there when the three decided to clean house.

Once they were fed, the three made their way over to the sofa to cuddle up and watch a movie together. But, just as things usually tended to go, ten minutes into the film, Keith’s hand had wandered from its place atop Lance’s thigh and sneaked under the hem of his shirt, his calloused fingers stroking the sensitive skin of his lower back.

 Shiro was more of a gentleman, of course. But once he’d heard the hitch in Lance’s breath and noticed that Keith’s hand had disappeared under the blanket, he was quick to join them.

Several kiss-filled, blissful minutes later, the three lay together on the couch. Keith was splayed out with one leg hitched over the upholstered arm and his cheek resting against Lance’s tummy. Lance’s head was pillowed by Shiro’s thighs. The older man had his legs crossed at the ankles, his socked feet balanced on the coffee table.

It was comfortable like this. Shiro was reading a book, one hand resting beside Lance’s neck, his thumb brushing back and forth under his jaw, and Lance was playing with Keith’s hair, combing his fingers through it and toying with the slightly curled ends.

Lance couldn’t believe that, in just a few more weeks, this would be over. He wouldn’t get to see them every day. He’d have to go back to school. Lance loved his and Hunk’s little apartment, but he had the feeling it would seem empty without Shiro and Keith there, complimenting his cooking or kissing him senseless.

“Is something troubling you?” Shiro asked, peering down at Lance over the top of his book.

Lance chewed on his bottom lip. Now was as good a time as any. He took a deep breath. “What’s going to happen after summer’s over?” he asked, his voice going soft at the end.

Keith’s hand found his and, after untangling it from his hair, he laced their fingers. But he said nothing, so Shiro spoke. “What do you want to happen?”

Lance gave a sad little chuckle. “I want this summer to never end.” That caught their attention. Keith sat up and both his boyfriends eyed him with concerned expressions. “I know,” he said before they could start. “It’s just that…I really love spending time with you guys and working together with the lions and cross-training with the other animals.” He wrung his hands in his lap before sitting up, as well. “And I know it’s not that far a drive from my apartment, but I’ll really miss seeing you every day.”

Shiro opened his mouth, but then shut it, as if thinking better of it. Keith, however, leaned closer and butted his forehead against Lance’s temple. “Don’t be an idiot,” he groused, but it lacked any bite. “We’ll still be able to see each other.” It was a statement, but it sure sounded like a question.

“Once the internship ends, Hunk and I will go back to our apartment and…” Lance sighed. “What are you guys going to do?” he asked. “Are you going to keep staying here, Keith?”

“I don’t know,” came Keith’s somewhat annoyed reply. “I haven’t really thought about it.”

“Well, you should.” Lance didn’t know why, but he was getting angry. “There’re only a few weeks left.”

“I know that.” Keith pulled away and crossed his arms over his chest. “Can we…can we just talk about something else?”

Lance’s throat tightened. He knew that the future tended to be a sore subject for Keith. Any time they brought it up, the topic was quickly changed. And the three of them had been so busy over the past month, they rarely had a chance to have these types of conversations at all.

Again, Shiro opened his mouth, but this time Lance and Keith turned to face him, waiting patiently for him to say something. Anything.

Shiro hesitated for a moment longer before clearing his throat. “Why don’t we finish the movie?”

And, just like that, Lance’s heart sunk. He didn’t bring up their post-summer plans again that evening. And when Shiro and Keith dropped him off at his dorm, he let his kisses linger, savoring them as much as he could.

 

Things got extremely busy over the next few days. In fact, Lance had barely had a chance to catch his breath between rushes at the restaurant, learning how to care for the marmosets with Dr. Holt and his team, and stopping by to visit Black Junior whenever he could.

The little cub was bigger now and finally able to nurse with his sisters. But Lance still liked coming to see him in their special den toward the front of the enclosure. Nyekundu and Buluu were the only lionesses allowed near the cubs. They took turns watching over them and it was an adorable sight. Njano and Kijani play-fought a lot, while Black Junior seemed content to bat at stray pieces of straw.

Lance pressed his hand against the glass and smiled when the cub drew closer, trying to nose his palm and getting frustrated at the barrier between them.

“I’m going to miss you, little guy,” Lance whispered.

“There you are!” Matt’s voice interrupted and Lance pulled back to find the other running toward him, slightly out of breath. “I’ve been looking all over,” he said.

“Sorry.” Lance stood up. “I was on my break and I just wanted to pay them a visit.”

“No worries.” Matt waved him off. “How are Kitty Rose and the triplets today?” he asked, wandering closer to the glass and peering in.

“Playful,” Lance replied, grinning as Kijani tried to jump over her larger sister and failed. “So, you were looking for me?”

“Oh, right!” Matt pulled back and beamed. “You’ve got to come with me, right away!” He grabbed Lance’s wrist and half-dragged him through the zoo. They ran through the back gate and past the trailer before stopping at the double doors of the institute. Matt keyed in his code and one door swung open, granting them entry.

“Um…” Lance began once he finally regained his breath. “Where are we going, exactly?”

“Ms. Lyons is back and meeting with my parents,” Matt answered.

Again, Lance liked Matt. But if the other had nearly ripped his arm out of its socket just so they could get a look at Allura – stunningly vibrant as she was – he was going to throttle him.

“Matt, I really don’t-”

“So, they sent me to get you. And Shiro to get Keith,” he continued. Now, that got Lance’s attention. Shiro was often at these types of meetings. But if they wanted both Lance and Keith there, too, it must be about something that affected them.

They took a couple more turns and ended at a pair of dark-stained wooden doors. Matt gave a quick knock and then one cracked open. Dr. Holt smiled when he saw them and waved for them to come in. Colleen was standing at the front of the room, gesturing toward a screen with a spreadsheet projected on it.

Matt and Lance slid into the two empty seats, Matt next to Coran and Lance beside Shiro. Keith was on Shiro’s other side, looking just as confused and curious as Lance felt. Well, Keith hid it well, but Lance had gotten used to reading him.

 _‘What’s going on?’_ Lance mouthed to Shiro when he caught his eye, but the other just smiled and brought a finger to his lips before gesturing with his chin toward the front of the room.

They’d barely seen each other in days and this was his greeting? Well, Lance was going to have to give Shiro what for once the meeting ended. But his thoughts of withholding cuddles were interrupted when Colleen took a seat and Samuel Holt strode up to the front of the room.

“It looks like just about everyone is here,” he said. “Ms. Lyons, Mr. Smythe, I’m sure you two remember Keith and Lance.” A blush spread over Lance’s face at being acknowledged, but he managed a little wave when Allura turned his way. “We’re just waiting on Katie to bring the latest data regarding the grand reopening. But before that, I’d like to make an announcement regarding our interns.”

All eyes were on Lance and Keith. And it was then that he noticed the two who’d been working with Dr. Holt weren’t in the room. Had he and Keith been the only interns invited?

“Now, Ms. Lyons and Mr. Smythe may not be aware, but every year, as we draw nearer to the end of the summer, each mentor is given the chance to select an intern who shows potential and offer them a permanent position here at the Garrison Zoo,” Dr. Holt began and Lance’s heart started thundering in his chest.

Had they chosen Keith? Excitement grew in his belly. He couldn’t even find it within himself to be jealous. He knew he had no chance, so he was glad that his boyfriend was going to have a job secured once the internship ended.

“I know we’d normally save formal announcements for the graduation ceremony, but since we’ve found ourselves with a bit of time on our hands, I thought I’d take the opportunity-” he continued. And not for the first time since meeting him, Lance wished that Dr. Holt would just get to the point already.

Then finally, after explaining what the fulltime animal behaviorist apprentice position entailed, Dr. Holt gestured toward Keith, who looked shocked. Lance didn’t know why he would be. He was the obvious choice. But still, the look of surprised awe on his boyfriend’s face was unbelievably endearing.

“Keith,” Dr. Holt said, a bright smile on his face. “Do you accept the position?”

Keith startled everyone by shooting up out of his chair and standing at attention. Even Shiro drew back in surprise. “I accept!” Keith said, just a little too loudly, and then everyone started clapping. And with a bright red flush that spread across his face and colored his ears, Keith sat back down, grumbling something that Lance didn’t catch, but that caused Shiro to bark out a quick laugh.

“Now that we’ve taken care of that article of business, we can-” but Dr. Holt was interrupted by a knock at the door. Matt stood up to answer.

Lance couldn’t see who it was, since the door blocked his view, but the Holts all reacted warmly to whoever it was.

“It’s about time, Katie,” Matt teased.

In all his excitement over Keith’s new position, Lance had completely forgotten about her. He leaned closer to Shiro and Keith and whispered, “So, I’m finally getting to see the infamous Katie Holt in the flesh, huh?”

At that, both Shiro and Keith drew their brows down. “What do you mean finally?” Keith replied, but was cut off when Dr. Holt addressed the room.

“Katie has been gathering the data on the zoo’s recent rise in guest count and overall sales,” he explained. “But I’ll let her do the talking.”

Lance turned and his jaw nearly dropped to the floor. There, standing beside Dr. Holt and holding a file folder, was none other than- “Pidge?!” he gaped, but was hushed by Shiro. Pidge regarded him with a quick nod, their expression something between apologetic and smug.

“According to my research,” they began, bringing up a chart onto the screen. “And taking into account the generous donation supplied by the Lyons Zoological Foundation,” they paused to nod toward Allura and Coran, “We will have more than enough to not only renovate and reopen the Dolphin Pavilion, complete with full staff including aquatic wildlife experts, but we will also be able to break ground on the new undersea exhibit that was planned back before the park’s admission began declining a few years back.”

Everyone stared at Pidge – or Katie? – in awe. They’d been working just as hard over the past few weeks as Lance, Hunk, and the other interns. And yet, they’d been able to put together this presentation? And, more importantly, Pidge was a genius! Of course, Lance knew they were smart, but they put even Hunk’s mathematical prowess to shame.

“That’s simply wonderful, Katie!” Allura cheered. “My father will be thrilled that our small contribution will allow for this expansion. Right, Coran?” She turned to her advisor, who toyed with his mustache, twisting the end as he nodded in agreement.

“Your contribution was far from small,” Dr. Holt corrected. “But we are thankful you have chosen to invest in our humble zoo.”

“My father has always liked to support smaller wildlife parks,” Allura explained. “Back at home, before we moved to New Zealand, the Arus Zoo was one of our favorites to visit!” She gushed and then cleared her throat in embarrassment. “Well, as I said, we are quite pleased.”

“And we are overjoyed to be working with you,” Colleen replied, her smile warm. “I do hope you’ll be able to visit often during the new exhibit’s construction?”

“Of course,” Allura answered. “And I do hope my father will be well enough to travel by the grand opening.”

“So,” Matt interrupted. “You’ll be spending a lot more time here, Ms. Lyons?” He leaned onto his elbow only to have Coran knock it out from under him, nearly causing him to face plant onto the desk.

Dr. Holt spared his son an apologetic glance before he turned toward Pidge. “Thank you, Katie.”

“Sure thing, Dad.”

Well, that settled things for Lance. Pidge was most definitely Katie Holt. And he was going to grill them as soon as this meeting was over. How could they keep that from him? Weren’t they friends. Of course, they probably had their reasons, but still! The betrayal!

“…Lance?” he barely caught Dr. Holt calling his name. Suddenly, Lance noticed that all eyes were on him. He’d been so worried about what he was going to say to Pidge, he hadn’t heard them address him at all.

“Uh…” He swallowed. “Yes, sir?”

The entire room chuckled and Lance’s face burned brighter than a thousand suns.

“As I was saying,” Dr. Holt continued, winking at him, “Because we’re undertaking such a large renovation and addition to the park, we’re going to need to increase our staff,” he said. “Shiro has already agreed to head the research and development of the new marine life exhibit, but he’s going to need some help.”

Lance’s heart began beating wildly in his chest.

“And that is why we’d like to offer you a permanent position here at the Garrison Zoo,” he finished, his smile wide.

“We do understand that you have a year left until you graduate,” Colleen went on before Lance could even attempt to get his mouth and tongue to work in tandem to form an answer. “But we’d very much like to work with you part time or seasonally until you complete your course of study.” She gave her husband a quick grin before turning it onto Lance. “Whatever you choose, your job will be waiting for you.”

Lance couldn’t breathe. Wait, no. He’d be dead if he couldn’t breathe. So he must have been breathing. But…how? Why? When? He looked around the room with wide eyes. The Holts were still smiling warmly at him. Allura and Coran both nodded in congratulations. And Matt was grinning like the cat who got the canary.

Slowly, Lance turned his head to face his boyfriends. Keith looked just as shocked as he did, but he had the beginnings of a smile quirking the corners of his lips. And Shiro, well, Shiro looked so proud.

“Do you need some time to think about it?” Dr. Holt asked and it brought Lance out of his fog. He stood up quickly, nearly knocking his seat over and, despite how he’d chuckled when Keith had done the same, he opened his mouth wide, his voice loud even to his own ears.

“I accept!”

 

When the meeting was finished, the Holts escorted Allura and Coran back toward the visitors’ area of the institute, probably to give them another tour. Matt was praising Pidge before he, too, ran after them. Lance could guess why. After Matt dashed away, Pidge collected their thumb drive and made their way to the door.

Oh, no. They weren’t getting away that easily.

“Nice try,” Lance called as he jumped in front of them, blocking the exit.

Pidge, who’d clearly been expecting his attack, just adjusted their glasses and looked up at him. “Yes?”

The beginnings of a thousand questions danced on the tip of Lance’s tongue. Why? How? When? But he settled on, “Dude!”

“I know.” Pidge scratched the side of their face with their index finger. “I was sort of hoping we’d make it to graduation before you found out.”

“But…why?” Lance let his shoulders sag. “Why did you lie about who you were?”

“Lance.” They fixed him with a look. “My entire family works for the zoo,” they said. “Do you honestly think it would be fun working my way through this internship as Katie Holt?”

They made an excellent point. But Lance was still a bit wounded – and nothing, if not melodramatic. “But you could have told Hunk and me!”

“Yeah. You’re right. My bad.” They gave a little shrug. “You mad?”

Lance deflated and shook his head, pouting like a petulant child. “…no. I guess not.”

“Congratulations, by the way,” Pidge offered, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You definitely deserve it.” Then, after a moment’s hesitation, Pidge lunged forward, wrapping both their arms around him, and gave what was quite possibly the most awkward hug Lance had ever received.

Still, had any anger been left in him, it would have melted away. He returned the hug, resting his chin on the top of Pidge’s head. “Thanks, Pidgey.”

“Okay,” Pidge said, muffled by Lance’s chest. “That’s enough nurturing gestures for one day.” They pulled back and wriggled out of his grasp.

“Oh, just you wait. I’ll make a hugger out of you yet,” Lance swore, but Pidge just rolled their eyes.

“Yeah, sure thing, Loverboy,” they said and then brushed past him and out the doors. He trailed behind for a few steps before letting them go.

“We’ll see about that!” he called, his voice echoing down the hallway. “The summer may be almost over, but I’ve got the rest of my career.” He laughed. “Just you wait!”

“Why are you shouting?” Keith asked, his voice amazingly close. Lance nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Yeesh.” He put a hand over his heart. “Are you taking lessons from Pidge or something?” he asked as he tried to slow his racing pulse.

“No?” Keith offered and then furrowed his brow. “That reminds me. Why do you call Katie that?” He cocked his head to the side. “And why didn’t you know she was-”

Lance just held his hand up. “It’s a long story.” He sighed, but then caught sight of Shiro walking out of another room. “But, speaking of keeping secrets…” He gestured toward Shiro with his chin and Keith followed his gaze. “How long did you know that we were both getting job offers?”

Shiro had the decency to look sheepish. “Would you be mad if I said they told me at my meeting the other night?” He supplied, ducking his head.

“Are you serious?” Keith growled at him. “After Lance got all weird, bringing up the future?”

“Hey!” Lance took offense. “I was legitimately concerned about where things were going and what you were going to do after the summer ended.” He pouted. “If anyone got weird, it was you!”

“I didn’t get-” but Keith cut himself off with a shake of his head. “The point is, Shiro _knew_ and he let us spend the last few days worrying over it!”

Lance raised his brows. So, Keith _had_ been concerned about his future. That was a relief. Lance was afraid he’d spend the rest of his time couch surfing and eat cup noodles. Not that Shiro would ever let that happen. But still!

“Actually,” Shiro interjected. “I didn’t know all the details,” he explained. “Dr. Holt told me about the Dolphin Pavilion and the potential for the marine exhibit, but he only hinted at what you two would be doing.” He stepped closer, wrapping an arm around each of them. “He just said that I wouldn’t have to worry about us being separated.”

Lance’s face grew warm at that. Partly because Shiro had been worried, too, but then it grew hotter when he realized that Dr. Holt knew about their relationship. Or at least enough that he realized how important both Keith and Lance were to Shiro.

But even surrounded by the nearly stifling haze of embarrassment, Lance was overjoyed. He had a plan for what he was going to do after college. He was going to get to work his dream job. And what made him happiest of all was that he was going to be able to stay with Shiro and Keith.

Sure, things were still new. They hadn’t yet figured everything out. But it was exciting and fun. And they made him very happy.

It took him a few moments to realize that Shiro had released them and had begun walking swiftly down the hallway. Keith made an aggravated noise from his side and jogged to catch up. Lance watched them go with a huge smile on his face. He couldn’t wait until they’d be working together all the time.

“Hey, Lance,” Keith called out to him, pulling him from his reverie. “You coming or what?”

“Victory milkshakes!” Shiro added, jingling his car keys.

Lance laughed and sprinted over to them, catching their arms in his and nearly losing his footing as he gave them a mighty tug forward. “Can we invite Hunk and Pidge?” he asked.

“Sure,” Shiro replied with a chuckle. “Maybe Matt, Shay, and Rax, too.”

“We’re not all going to fit in the car,” Keith sighed, but Lance could see the smile trying to break the surface. “Can’t we just meet them there?”

“That sounds good.” Shiro looked to Lance. “Can you text them?”

And so Lance did, all while listening to Keith try and talk Shiro out of getting a vanilla milkshake. Because he always got vanilla and there were other flavors. He didn’t care how good Shiro claimed it was. And Lance didn’t bother to cover up his amusement at their rare display of bickering.

They were adorable. And cool. And handsome. And they were his.

All things considered, it really had turned out to be the best summer ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's over TT^TT I'm going to miss updating this every week! I want to thank everyone for their continued support and comments. They've meant the world to me~♥
> 
> Oh, and regarding the note at the top... I may or may not have a cut scene from this chapter that was just a _little_ too spicy to include in the main work. Would anyone be interested in reading that? (It's pretty tame, tbh, but...a little above T imo, cuz I'm cautious)
> 
> As always, please share what you think and (before I give anything away) let me know what else you'd like to know about this universe. I love my Zoo AU very much, so I'm always happy to discuss it with you guys~

**Author's Note:**

> As always, let me know what you think and feel free to hit me up on my Voltron sideblog [@bleucheesy](http://bleucheesy.tumblr.com)!


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